The Health Minister responded this Saturday to the National Federation of Doctors (Fnam)’s announcement of a strike by saying that “there is always room for negotiations with the professions” and that the government has “the doors completely open.”
Speaking to reporters after the inauguration ceremony of the new governing bodies of the Order of Dentists at the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, Ana Paula Martins also said that “the meetings [com os sindicatos dos médicos] went very well” and that the government therefore “has great hopes for these negotiations.”
Fnam announced a general strike on Friday for July 23 and 24, saying the government only intends to start negotiations on wage scales in 2025.
Fnam’s demands include replacing the normal 35-hour working week and updating the salary scale, integrating intern doctors into the entry-level category of a medical career, and replacing 25 working days of vacation per year and five additional vacation days if taken outside the peak season.
On Wednesday, the Independent Medical Union (SIM) reached agreement with the government on a negotiating protocol setting out the calendar and issues for negotiations, including the pay scale, which is a prerequisite for moving forward in the talks.
Asked about current developments in the health sector, namely the situation at the National Institute of Emergency Medicine (INEM), the minister declined to comment.
“I’m not going to talk about those issues,” he said, choosing to emphasize “recognition of dentists” who “have been doing very important work for decades and decades without actually having a consistent oral hygiene plan.”
Ana Paula Martins reiterated the commitment contained in the government programme (PSD/CDS-PP) to develop this plan for 2020-2030 in a “realistic and rapid manner”.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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