The strike by nurses at the National Health Service (NHS), which began at midnight on Friday, has already closed operating theatres and reconditioned health centres and hospital inpatient services, according to the Portuguese Nurses’ Union (SEP).
“Expectations are very high given the lack of response from the Ministry to the problems of nurses (…). We already know of hospitalizations with 100% adherence to the strikesaid the coordinator of the SEP’s general management for Porto, Fátima Monteiro, to the Lusa agency.
“Palliative care and family health units are also being severely affected, many blocks [de cirurgia] They are also 100%”he said without specifying the locations.
At the door of the São João Hospital in Porto, where one of the various gatherings of nurses is planned for this Friday, The union leader again criticized the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martinsconsidering that it “insults” the class.
“The values you propose are insulting. “The nurses who responded to Covid-19 and were at the vaccination and were so applauded, are being insulted,” said Fátima Monteiro.
Nurses in the NHS are on strike today in the morning and afternoon shifts to demand improvements in their careers and better working conditions.
The strike was called by the SEP on July 16, alleging that the presentation of the proposal to change the salary scales was not fulfilled, which led to the suspension of negotiations at the meeting scheduled for that day.
The SEP met again on Wednesday with the Minister of Health and at the end of the meeting the president of the SEP, José Carlos Martins, told reporters that the strike continues, because the The proposal presented by the Government remains “unacceptable, intolerable” and as such, nurses have “additional reasons to express their very strong indignation.”
According to José Carlos Martins, the Ministry of Health has proposed an increase of 52 euros for all remunerated positions in the salary scale for nurses.
In addition, the Government is proposing not to change any of the salary scales for specialist nurses and senior nurses, the union leader said, adding that the proposal does, however, provide for nurses currently in these categories to be able to “make a jump” from a paid position.
This proposal means that, “for those who come in the future, the economic value of the work of specialists and nursing heads will remain exactly the same as it is today,” he lamented.
Today, on Lusa, Fátima Monteiro asked: “Do you think the work of these nurses is despicable?”.
For the official, “it is unacceptable that there is no proposal that reflects the appreciation of nurses,” so it is certain that “this will be followed by a series of struggles.”
Nurses are also demanding the “reaffirmation of the 35-hour work week for nurses” and ways to compensate for the “systematic use of overtime to cover nursing shortages” which increases the risk and difficulties of practicing the profession.
As for more precise data on participation in the strike, the SEP sent clarifications mid-morning.
Source: Observadora
