Health service pharmacists call three days of strike action
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Loading... - Okland Ragnar
- 30 May 2023
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Pharmacists within Portugal's SNS health service have issued "pre-strike notices" for a span of three days in June (specifically, on the 22nd, 27th, and 29th). They have also expressed their intention to engage in productive discussions with the ministry in the meantime.
The notice clarifies that the initial strike will encompass the entirety of Portuguese territory, including the mainland and the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores. The second strike (scheduled for June 27th) will occur in the districts of Beja, Evora, Faro, Lisbon, Portalegre, Santarém, Setúbal, as well as the autonomous regions of Azores and Madeira. The final strike is proposed for the districts of Braga, Bragança, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Guarda, Leiria, and Viseu.
The National Union of Pharmacists emphasizes that their discussions with Health Minister Manuel Pizarro have been greatly disappointing so far, as the minister has demonstrated a lack of political will to resolve the ongoing situation. This "situation" pertains to wages and working conditions, similar to other disputes within the public sector.
Union president Henrique Reguengo explains, "While everyone talks about nurses and doctors leaving the state health service, we also have a thousand pharmacists who are abandoning their positions."
He further adds, "All crucial matters requiring negotiation are at a complete standstill. We still suffer from severe staff shortages, and our pay scale has not been updated since 1999."
Reguengo states that there is undoubtedly a willingness to engage in dialogue and find solutions, but it is necessary for the other side to be equally willing to negotiate.
Among the union's demands are the professional advancement of pharmacists, including the review and adjustment of salary scales to align with their academic and professional qualifications. They also seek the recognition of their entire length of service within the health service for the purposes of promotion and career progression, as well as the secure employment of pharmacists already working in public services but with precarious contracts.
In the past, Portugal's health service pharmacists have staged strikes, with over 90% participation in October and November of the previous year.
