Tomorrow’s meeting will be a crucial opportunity to reaffirm the nurses’ position: that they will not accept meager increases limited to a limited group of professionals.
The Nurses Union – SE, which represents nursing professionals from all over the country, will meet tomorrow, July 31, from 2 pm, with the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins. The meeting comes in response to the proposal presented by the Ministry of Health at the beginning of the month, which proposed a salary increase of only 52 euros for newly recruited nurses in the categories of nurse, specialist nurse and nurse manager. The union considers the proposal unacceptable and likely to lead to further unfair dismissals.
In the context of other professional categories receiving salary increases of at least 300 euros, nurses make it clear that they will not accept increases of less than 35% of the entry level for all categories. Over the past 15 years, nurses’ net salaries have fallen by around 30%, taking into account the rising cost of living and the freezing of the salary scale, which has not been adjusted since 2009. Successive government measures have led to the devaluation of the profession, and the disdain for the authorities.
The government’s proposal, which nurses consider an insult, ignores the difficult working conditions they face on a daily basis, while still ensuring good health care for the population. Dissatisfaction is compounded by the difficulty of retaining trained professionals in the country, as entry salaries barely exceed the national minimum wage. Moreover, the nursing profession limits access to senior positions, such as coordinating family health units, fueling the perception that certain positions are reserved for the health care elite.
Despite advances in other professions, such as public safety and teaching, governments continue to undervalue nurses. They face a constant struggle for recognition and better working conditions, especially after demonstrating their value during the COVID-19 pandemic and now with the imminent vaccination campaign of the Winter 2024 plan.
Tomorrow’s meeting will be a crucial opportunity to reaffirm the nurses’ position: they will not accept meager increases limited to a limited group of professionals. The Nurses’ Union and the “Commitment to Nursing” platform are united and determined to fight for fair evaluation, not to retreat in defending the interests of the class.
The government, the Minister of Health and the ULS Board of Directors are expected to explain to the Portuguese why they left the SNS in crisis. If the other ministers reach fair agreements, the refusal to accept the nurses’ demands is not justified and could harm the salvation of the SNS and the valorization of its fundamental pillars.
N.R/PR/HN
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