The Federation of National Doctors (Fnam) is set to launch a petition by the end of July, aiming to gather enough signatures to bring it for discussion in the Assembly of the Republic.
Fnam convened its National Council in Porto today, focusing on the demanding nature of the profession.
“The National Health Service is not a factory, and doctors are not productivity parts,” stated Joana Bordalo e Sá. She emphasized that the collective labor agreement, to be negotiated with the government, should include “new clauses” such as a 35-hour workweek.
Fnam is adamant about including trainee doctors in the career structure, restoring vacation days, and securing “fair wages.”
On July 1, Fnam agreed to resume negotiations on the collective labor agreement with the Ministry of Health, after a pause in talks, with a meeting scheduled for the end of the month.
The union requested the intervention of the Directorate-General for Employment and Labor Relations to restart negotiations with the Ministry of Health, following a meeting on March 10.
At that time, the government denied negotiating with Fnam, claiming the ongoing process was a conciliation with local health units about collective labor regulation.
The government signed an agreement to improve salaries and medical careers on December 30, 2024, but only with the Independent Doctors’ Union.
The Federation of National Doctors activated “available legal mechanisms” to ensure compliance with collective bargaining, claiming that Health Minister Ana Paula Martins’ refusal to negotiate with the federation represented “a serious violation of the law.”
