“The government remains strongly committed to the possibility of understanding,” said Manuel Pizarro in response to questions from delegates in the discussion on the specialty of the 2024 state budget (OE2024), on the eve of a new negotiating meeting with the Independent Union. of physicians and with the National Federation of Physicians.
The minister reiterated that he will not hold the trade union negotiations debate in parliament as he believes this should be done between the government and the trade unions. Assembly of the Republic”.
Manuel Pizarro emphasized that the agreement with the group of professionals in general, and with doctors in particular, “must be based on a tripod”.
“Firstly, we must improve the accessibility of healthcare for the Portuguese, we must guarantee the ability to better organize the NHS, and thirdly, we must value professionals, in this case doctors, from the point of view of their working conditions. and also of their remuneration conditions,” he explained.
The last meeting, on Saturday, between the Health Ministry and doctors’ unions ended without an agreement and negotiations will resume on Wednesday, with a new proposal for supervision in which the unions hope to see the government’s approach reflected.
The meeting comes at a time when the Prime Minister, António Costa, asked the President of the Republic for his resignation, who accepted it, after the Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed that he is the target of an independent investigation by the Supreme Court of Justice into lithium and hydrogen projects.
The President of the Republic summoned the parties to a hearing on Wednesday at the Palácio de Belém in Lisbon and will meet with the Council of State on Thursday.
Source: DN
