According to the union, several INEM technicians who were on international missions in Turkey and Chile in February did not receive all overtime and daily allowances ranging from 500 to 800 euros.
Speaking to Lusa, Union of Prehospital Emergency Technicians (STEPH) President Rui Lazaro said that INEM “did not pay for the hours worked, as well as allowances” for four emergency workers participating in international missions. , adding that the same thing happened to logistics technicians, psychologists, nurses and doctors.
Missions to Turkey (due to the earthquake) and Chile (due to fires) took place in February.
“On the one hand, the entire time of their stay on a business trip was not counted, and on the other hand, the already known (…) limit of extraordinary work in the civil service was exceeded, all of which exceed 60% of the base salary, INEM does not pay” , – explained Rui Lazaro.
“We are talking about an amount of 500 to 800 euros that these professionals did not receive and will not receive, and this was an effective time of work in the mission that they carried out, where they represented the country,” the union leader complained.
For comparison, he recalled that in the case of technicians from the National Emergency Management and Civil Protection (ANEPC), payment was made in full and as an “international business trip”, and not for overtime.
“Just last week they were honored by the President of the Republic for their high commitment to their mission, but as far as the hours they work, INEM simply does not pay them,” he added.
Asked about clarifications given by INEM to employees, he said that the HR department had only stated that the limit set for the civil service had been exceeded.
However, Rui Lazaro recalls that this exceeding the overtime limit has happened before, for example in training pre-hospital emergency technicians, and at that time the amount in question “was diluted in the following months and the technicians ran out before receiving”.
“A decision that could have happened in this case, but apparently due to possible lack of will on the part of the board of directors, this part was not resolved,” he added.
Asked by Lusa, the INEM representative replied that “the additional work of the specialists who were part of the INEM teams sent to Chile and Turkey were paid in accordance with what is determined by law”, adding that “the amounts related to assistance from the cost are determined” .