The government announced on Friday that it had signed an agreement the previous day with the Federation of Public Administration Unions and Entities with Public Purposes (Fesap) and the Trade Union Front for the review of the career and value of senior health technicians.
In a joint statement from the Ministries of Health and Finance, the executive noted that the agreement reached on Thursday responds “to a claim that has lasted over 17 years” for senior health technicians.
According to the Order of Biologists, the agreement finally addresses a longstanding claim of more than 17 years by these professionals, foreseeing annual salary increases until 2027 and integrating into the Health Professionals Motivation Plan and the Multiannual Worker Appreciation Agreement of Public Administration.
Highlighting it as “a moment of great significance, not only for the career review but also because Clinical Biology is recognized as a professional branch in the National Health System for the first time,” the Order emphasizes that the decision “centers on the specialized response of biologists and biochemists who, for decades, have ensured essential laboratory functions in the country.”
Cited in the statement, the chairperson, Maria Jesus Fernandes, underscores that the decision “represents a historic step for professionals who, for more than 40 years, have ensured diagnostics, laboratory quality, applied research, and response in critical situations, including pandemic crises.”
“The official recognition of Clinical Biology confirms the scientific and technical relevance of these professionals and reinforces citizens’ confidence in the SNS’s ability to provide increasingly qualified responses,” she continues.
Maria Jesus Fernandes also highlights that this progress results from “the persistent work of the Order of Biologists alongside public decision-makers, employers, and scientific partners,” recalling that recently “the specialties and legal framework of specialists in clinical analyses, human genetics, and embryology and human reproduction were also recognized.”
However, the chairperson stresses that “there is still a way to go to fully consolidate the role of the Clinical Biologist as a health professional,” committing to “monitoring the implementation of the new career and continuing to advocate for the necessary conditions for a robust, innovative public response aligned with health challenges in Portugal.”
