The Workers’ Commission of Lusa (CT) considers that the new program contract “does not solve the chronic problem of lack of financing” of the news agency and the lack of management autonomy, affecting the provision of public service.
Last week, the president of the Lusa Board of Directors, Joaquim Carreira, announced that the Lusa 2022-2027 public service contract had already obtained the visa of the Court of Accounts, contemplates a compensatory indemnity for this year of 13.4 million euros.
Compared to the previous contract, from 2017-2019, the new one is valid for six years and includes compensatory compensation for 2022 of 13.4 million euros, which represents an increase of 2% compared to the previous year.
“CT considers that the new contract-program does not solve the chronic problem of Lusa’s lack of financing (visible in the increase of only 2%, when inflation is much higher) and the lack of management autonomy, limiting the activity of the company, especially the provision of public service”, says the body in a note sent this Tuesday to the workers of the news agency.
Also, “the perpetuation of the lack of workers continuesas can be seen in the rules that the PAO [Plano de Atividades e Orçamento] imposes”, so “it is unfortunate, criticizable and highly questionable that the Government imposes the freezing of admissions of workers indicated by the Working Conditions Authority (ACT) as precarious and effective and permanent needs of the company, failing to comply with its own guidelines to combat precariousness”, continues the TC.
“And again in this PAO, the State cuts investment funds that are already scarce, making it impossible for the company to invest in its improvement and competitiveness,” says the workers’ representative body.
At the general meeting of April 27, the Lusa PAO was approved, but the State, which is the majority shareholder, presented a voting statement “in which it withdraws the possibility of hiring more workers for the workforce (all hiring of 2022). compensation for departures in 2021) and imposes an investment cut of 500 thousand euros (compared to the 930 thousand euros proposed) ”, stresses CT.
According to the president of Lusa, adds CT, “at the end of June the administration presented a counterproposal asking for flexibility for cuts in other parameters and that the amount of the investment be 700 thousand euros”, which has not yet received a response and has not yet received prospect response of a date for the same.
Payments under the new contract are quarterly and in advance and include a new formula to calculate the net cost of public service, reducing returns to the State.
“Joaquim Carreira said that Lusa must receive the compensation payments soon, and that initially it must receive three quarters, and that as soon as it receives them, the objective is to pay off the loans that the company had to make and pay the missing amounts from the previous one. contract,” the statement added.
As this year there was no compensatory compensation, “Lusa obtained financing from CGD and BPI to meet financial obligations” and the total debt “is around 5.39 million euros.”
According to the president of Lusa, “the cost of interest on these loans should be between six and ten thousand euros and will have to be assumed by the company”, and “what is due to the State of the 2017 program contract will then be paid in 2019” says the CT.
“According to the CPA, the contract gives Lusa greater financial stability and a slight increase in management autonomy,” says the Workers Commission, adding that through the new contract “yields to the State are reduced, since that Lusa can retain part of the funds obtained from its own income outside the scope of public service (for example, with contracts with companies)”.
However, the application of these funds “maintains some limitations, since in areas such as personnel expenses, the authorization of the Government is always needed.”
The improvements brought by the new contract allow the fulfillment of objectives not met in the recent past, such as payment to suppliers within 30 to 35 days (currently Lusa pays an average of 61 days), explained the ACP, quoted by CT.
Source: Observadora
