"In the current nursing career, there must be two salary levels and we will not give up on that. It is a red line that we will not let be crossed", the president of the Nurses' Union (NU) told journalists.

Pedro Costa was speaking to journalists after the leaders of SIPE (Independent Union of Nursing Professionals), Nurses' Union (NU), Democratic Union of Nurses of Portugal (SINDEPOR), Independent Union of All United Nurses (SITEU) and National Union of Nurses (SNE) met with the Health Ministry team led by Ana Paula Martins for over two hours early this afternoon.

"It was a very tense meeting, but this is the [red] line that we have drawn and that we explained to the minister, because nurses will be needed now in this emergency plan that will be implemented immediately", he stressed.

Pedro Costa emphasized that if the Ministry does not give in, there could be "a completely chaotic summer in the National Health Service".

"And if there is no concession in the salary table at the salary levels we want, we will not reach an agreement", he continued.

The NU leader indicated that the five unions will still present "the remaining matters under negotiation" by next Wednesday.

"The government proposes to review the nursing salary table. We want the nursing table to be equated to the special careers of the Public Administration in the health area. This means an additional effort from the Ministry of Health", he said, recalling that an increase of 30 to 40% in the base salary is at stake.

According to the unionist, the platform will meet again with the government on June 22.

Today, the five nurses' unions will also meet with the Portuguese Association of Private Hospitalization (APHP) to "sign a new collective labor agreement for nurses in the private sector".

"APHP remains committed to the negotiations it has been holding with five nursing unions --- NU, NSU, SINDEPOR, SITEU, SIPENF --- who negotiate together after signing a memorandum of understanding", reads a note from the association.

In the first meeting, in April, the platform welcomed the government's openness to dialogue in an attempt to solve the problems affecting nurses.

The Minister of Health began the meetings at 10 am with the representatives of the doctors, followed by several nurses' unions.

[News updated at 4:50 pm]

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