Wave of national protests, strikes until end of November
The first of the strikes is that which runs until the end of this Friday, of pre-hospital emergency medics, who are demanding a review of their careers and better working conditions.
The months of October and November mark the return of a wave of protests, which began on Friday, with the strike of pre-hospital emergency medics, and will extend from health to education, including firefighters and the civil service.
The first of the strikes is that which runs until the end of this Friday, of pre-hospital emergency medics, who are demanding a review of their careers and better working conditions.
A week later, between October 28 and November 2, is the time for pharmacists of the National Health Service to stop, demanding the implementation of pharmaceutical residency, opening of competition for career progression and review of remuneration status.
Then it’s the nurses’ turn to begin a two-day strike, on 3rd and 4th November, contesting the “total absence of dialogue” by the Ministry of Health to hear their demands.
They also consider that the nearly €700 million to strengthen the NHS provided for in the proposed State Budget for 2022 will only be put to good use if the areas to which this budget increase will be allocated are on the table.
The nurses’ unions also say that the strike was limited to two days due to the awareness that the unions have of the consequences for users of the NHS.
On November 5 the national strike of teachers starts, called by the National Teachers Federation (Fenprof) and the National Federation of Education (FNE) for the same day that the Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, will be in Parliament to discuss the draft State Budget for 2022 (OE2022).
The unions justify the strike precisely with the OE2022, which they say ignores the sector’s problems, namely issues affecting the teaching career and also non-teaching workers.
On November 11, and for two days, it will be the turn of the professional firefighters, who are striking in protest against the proposed OE2022, which they say has forgotten them.
Firefighters are demanding pay rises, a risk allowance equal to that of the security forces, amounting to €100 a month, regulation of the entire firefighting and civil protection sector, revision of salary scales for firefighters, as well as 35-hour working hours.
They also demand the right to pre-retirement equal to the security forces.
On the last day of the firefighters’ strike, the public service strike will begin (November 12) to contest the proposed State Budget for 2022, which the civil servants say does not respond to the sector’s problems or the workers’ demands.
For the Unions, the 0.9% wage increase provided for in the budget proposal is not enough, as it does not allow for the recovery of purchasing power that has been lost over the past 12 years by workers.
Unions say it is necessary to “give voice to the protest and discontent of public administration workers” and warned that the strike will cover public administration workers, but also all IPSS [Private Institutions of Social Solidarity].
Doctors will stop on November 22, 23 and 24, in protest against the measures provided for in the proposed State Budget for 2022, which they consider insufficient.
They demand greater funding for health and say that the problems have been identified since the pre-pandemic period and that the solutions presented “are already years old”.
