“This meeting was primarily aimed at signing a negotiation protocol to create a Collective Labor Agreement for nurses. It is the only profession in the Health sector that does not yet have a Collective Labor Agreement, and it was this commitment that we made with the Ministry of Health,” said the spokesperson for the group and president of the Independent Union of Nursing Professionals (SIPEnf), Fernando Parreira.
The union representative spoke to the press after SIPEnf, the Nurses’ Union (SE), the Independent Union of United Nurses (SITEU), the National Union of Nurses (SNE), and the Democratic Union of Nurses of Portugal (SINDEPOR) met for about two hours with the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, at the Ministry of Health in Lisbon.
According to Fernando Parreira, the unions aim to achieve “equality in terms of working conditions between nurses under individual employment contracts and those in public contract functions” within the National Health Service (SNS).
“There are matters in which nurses in public functions have specific legislation, and nurses under individual contracts do not. This includes the day of vacation for every 10 years of service. (…) Essentially, it will be to equalize the working conditions among all SNS nurses,” stated Fernando Parreira.
The SIPEnf leader emphasized that the negotiations are just beginning and that the next meeting with the Ministry of Health will be on September 3.
“Our expectations are high. The main thing we want from the nursing profession is a collective labor agreement,” he stressed, adding that Ana Paula Martins showed openness to negotiate.
In September 2024, the Ministry of Health and the platform of five nursing unions reached an agreement on several issues concerning career valuation, including salary tables.
Ana Paula Martins stated at the time that the agreement reached provided for a salary increase of about 20% by 2027, which will start being paid in November this year.
