Clarification from the Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

In 2021, an agreement was reached between the then Regional Secretariat for Health and Sport and the nurses' unions, with the aim of replacing, in the nurses' performance assessment, the awarding of one (1) point, as had been agreed between the previous government and the Portuguese Nurses' Union, with one and a half (1.5) points, a situation more favourable to these professionals.

This situation led to the negotiation of an agreement for the retroactive payments due, which runs until December 31, 2028, and has been paid out by the Regional Health Service institutions as agreed.

From the time the current Regional Secretary took office on March 8, 2023, until April 30, 2024, approximately 3.3 million Euros have been paid to nurses in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, corresponding to retroactive payments covering the said agreement, as well as amounts relating to the César bonus, and repositioning under Decree-Law 22/2023A, which authorised the awarding of 1.5 points from 2019 onwards to nurses. Since this agreement was signed, about 10 million Euros have already been paid to nurses in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Therefore, it is false that the Regional Government of the Azores owes 10 million Euros to nurses, as the Regional Health Service institutions have been complying with the agreement, through phased payment, processed with the due salaries, which will continue to take place until the agreements are fully complied.

The current Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security would like to reiterate that the Budget of the Autonomous Region of the Azores was voted on and approved on May 24 but has yet to be published. It should also be noted that, since December 2023, the Regional Government has been under the twelfths system, so it was no longer possible to proceed with retroactive payments, as these were not provided for in the 2023 Budget (drawn up in 2022).

The Regional Government has always been available to solve this situation once and for all, as can easily be concluded from the facts mentioned earlier and proven by the various repositionings that have taken place to date. A working meeting was held on May 3. It was attended by the three unions representing nurses in the Azores, the Portuguese Nursing Association and the Regional Secretariat for Health, and all these matters were discussed. After the Regional Budget for 2024 is published, the Government will analyse this matter. 

Moreover - it was this coalition Government that, in a fair and dignified manner, proceeded to pay nurses, recognising the work of excellence provided to Regional Health Service users, and this will continue to be the case until the end of its term.