Urgent Demands: Algarve Nurses Call for Immediate Solutions to Long-Standing Issues

Algarve Nurses Demand Immediate Solutions

The Faro regional direction of the Portuguese Nurses Union (SEP) is calling for the immediate resolution of all issues affecting professionals working at the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Algarve.

As the new year begins, nurses are demanding "immediate responses and resolution to problems that have lingered for years". One of the main demands is the regularization of point accumulation for career progression, alongside the payment of back pay under the Decree-Law 80-B/2022. They also seek the implementation of the so-called "progression accelerator" with retroactive effects from January 2024.

The SEP reports ongoing delays in performance evaluations, which hinder career advancements, and the payment of back pay since 2018, as well as for overtime, holidays, and worked days off, some of which have been pending since 2012.

Additionally, the union is pushing for solutions to "problems in the organization of the pediatric emergency service in Faro" and the non-compliance with schedule regulations, which limits access to legally mandated continuous training hours.

Compounding these issues is a proposed change to the nursing career salary scale, which anticipates retroactivity to November 2024. The nurses of ULS Algarve state that 2024 has been a year to forget, marked by a lack of solutions and increasing debts faced by the institution.

A meeting is scheduled for January 8 with the nurse director, after which a request will be made for an audience with the newly appointed ULS Algarve administration. The SEP emphasizes that nurses demand immediate answers and the payment of all outstanding amounts.