“There were workers who refused to attend the training course [for the special career in inspection], but none of them are performing inspection duties; instead, they are engaged in other roles such as administrative support,” stated the councilor for Urbanism, Joana Almeida (an independent elected by the “Novos Tempos” coalition PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança), representing the council at the Lisbon Municipal Assembly (AML) meeting.
The councilor was addressing the opinion of AML’s 1st Human Resources Committee regarding the recommendation presented by the municipal group Chega to regularize the labor rights of municipal inspectors. This led to the approval of several recommendations directed at the council and a motion addressed to the Government.
With the presence of municipal inspectors observing the AML meeting, the municipal deputies decided, with the CDS-PP abstaining, to recommend that the council “investigate whether there are workers not belonging to the special inspection career performing inspection duties and drafting administrative offense reports, in all municipal services with inspection and/or supervision responsibilities for works and projects.”
In response, Councilor Joana Almeida indicated that “an assessment was conducted across the various organizational units of the council to determine the existence of such situations, and no such situation was identified.”
One of the majority-approved recommendations is for the council to check if workers are performing inspection functions while having refused the training that would have qualified them for the role; to intervene swiftly with the current Government to legislatively address the pay inequality affecting the inspection career; and to provide the AML with detailed information within three months concerning actions taken in this regard.
Joana Almeida added that the deputy mayor, Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP), sent a letter on February 11 this year to the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, reiterating the points already outlined in previous correspondence sent to the Government.
The motion, also approved by the majority, urges the Government to resolve the pay inequality in inspection careers, consider revising this special career, and extend the hazard and unsanitary work allowance to other careers and situations not currently covered.
During today’s meeting, deputies reviewed a petition for the preservation and maintenance of the Sociedade Musical Ordem e Progresso (SMOP), a cultural, sports, and recreational association located at Rua do Conde, in the Estrela parish, which celebrates its 127th anniversary on June 1 and is at risk due to the deterioration of its current facilities, prompting AML to request council intervention.
Also analyzed was a petition for the “urgent repair” of the roof of Parque Silva Porto Primary School/Kinder garden in Benfica, with the parents’ association highlighting “serious waterproofing issues with the roof,” resulting in “flooded rooms and water running down the walls.”
Regarding this, Councilor Joana Almeida stated that “the council is finally moving forward” to address the shortcomings of the 2016 refurbishment, noting that a new project will be launched “this week,” and the work will be carried out during the children’s vacation period.
In support of the petition “No to the felling of jacaranda trees on Av. 5 de Outubro,” Livre introduced a recommendation regarding the International Day of Forests and the World Tree Day. This was approved by a majority for the council to present the “2030 Climate Contract” at the AML by May 25, as part of the “100 Climate-Neutral Cities 2030” mission, and to implement this year the “Veredas de Lisboa” and “Protect from Heat – Climate Shelters” decisions.
