The Prehospital Emergency Technicians (TEPH) will be on overtime strike, for a career review and better salary conditions, starting on the 30th, when the general discussion on the State Budget for 2025 begins.
As the president of the Union of Prehospital Emergency Technicians (STEPH), which is calling the strike, explained to Lusa, on October 30, starting at 10 a.m., a demonstration by these professionals in front of the Assembly of the Republic is also planned.
“We hope that [a greve] have a very significant impact on the availability of resources, but also at service stations in CODU [Centros de Orientação de Doentes Urgentes]” from INEM, said Rui Lázaro, adding: “we will not only expect a delay in sending ambulances, but also in answering calls.”
In the strike notice to which Lusa had access, STEPH reports that, since the strike only covers overtime, it does not consider that there is room for minimum services, since “all urgent and emergent work, during normal working hours, will continue to be working”. Guaranteed on all shifts.”
In the document, STEPH draws attention to the need to review the career, considered unattractive, forcing operators to “remain stuck in a category without valuation.”
Rui Lázaro remembers that The union avoided “getting to this point” during the summer period, but highlights that the lack of response from the guardianship to the demands These professionals leave them no choice.
“Six months after the new Government took office and was defined as a priority by the Minister of Health herself, in the Assembly of the Republic, when she described our salary as miserable, waiting so long without adopting any measure has no effect,” considered the person in charge.
Rui Lázaro also added that “in this way the high dropout rate cannot be combated and the competition procedure that is being carried out is called into question, which runs the risk of coming to an end and the candidates not signing a contract if “These conditions are not met.” revised”.
Prior notice of strike, STEPH reminds that the country needs a “comprehensive response” for the entire integrated system of medical emergencies, which reduces the asymmetries between the interior and large cities, and considers that the review of the special career of Prehospital Emergency Technicians (TEPH) “is the safest, most efficient and effective response.”
In addition to the career, STEPH wants the remuneration index to be reviewed, which it considers “too low”, and also requests a change in the evaluation system in force at the INEM, which it says promotes “injustice and demotivation of workers.” .
The union recalls that in the meeting with the Secretary of State it presented “The weak state of the medical emergency and the INEM and the proposals for emerging problems” not receiving a positive response from the guardianship.
“On the contrary, we received a response from the minister, during the month of October, saying that she did not foresee any increase in value for the year 2024, which eventually [será] in 2025,” said the person in charge, concluding: “Faced with this response, we have no other alternative than to initiate demanding actions to raise awareness (…) not only of political power, but also of citizens, about the emergence of the degrading state in which “There is a medical emergency in Portugal.”
The current TEPH competition ends at the end of the year, after which there will be six months of training.
According to Rui Lázaro, based on the information collected, “there are several candidates who, if at the end of the competition and the subsequent experimental period, the hospital technician career is not reviewed, if the salary is not valued with dignity, many will not sign a contract.”
“They will remain in their current positions, which are better paid and more attractive,” he added.
Source: Observadora
