Press release
Ponta Delgada
Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego
1. Following the prior notices of a general strike scheduled for June 3, 2026, involving workers from various sectors, including the hospital sector in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the Labour Services Directorate of the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment convened a negotiation meeting between the employers concerned and the trade union, in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code.
2. This action arose from the fact that the hospitals in question were intended to meet essential social needs; however, there was no collective labour agreement or prior arrangement in place regarding minimum services and the resources required to ensure them.
3. The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment, clarifies that it has not established any minimum services.
4. In fact, the Labour Services Directorate merely followed the procedure laid down in the Labour Code, facilitating a negotiation meeting between the interested parties. As no agreement was reached, the process follows the applicable legal provisions, with the competent arbitration tribunal being responsible for assessing and deciding on the possible establishment of minimum services.
5. The proposal contained in a strike notice constitutes a trade union proposal, but does not itself amount to an agreement between the interested parties, nor does it become a binding decision in the absence of prior express opposition from the employers concerned.
6. The Regional Government fully respects the right to strike and will act exclusively in accordance with the law; in essential sectors such as healthcare, it is responsible for activating the legal mechanisms designed to safeguard essential social needs.
