On Wednesday, the National Union of Prison Guards (SNCGP) had already said that it had been summoned to a new meeting with the Ministry of Justice on May 3 to start a negotiation process. In a statement today, the Ministry announced that, next Friday, it will receive the Union of Judicial Employees, the Union of Judicial Officers, the Union of Prison Guard Chiefs and the Independent Union of Prison Guards. The agenda of this round of meetings includes the definition and establishment of the negotiation methodology and protocol and the presentation of the assumptions of the scope and object for negotiation between the parties. "The Ministry of Justice wants the negotiation between the Ministry to be successful and result in the end of the long cycle of strikes that has lasted for more than 15 months. The Government also hopes that it will be possible to restore the normal functioning of the courts and the prison system, as well as to guarantee the full exercise by citizens of the constitutional right of access to justice", the note states. In the same statement, the Ministry justifies that minimum services were not indicated for the strike announced by the Union of Judicial Employees (SFJ), which is scheduled to start on May 8 (strike on Wednesday and Friday mornings), so the "decision will be up to the arbitration board, after allegations from the parties, whose deadline is running". The MJ states that the minimum services were indicated by the SFJ only for the strike with the start announced for May 7 (strike on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings), about which there was an agreement in the meeting held at DGAEP on Wednesday, after their extension by the SFJ. In the note, the MJ recalls that the indication of minimum services is the responsibility of the Union that calls a strike. "If there is an agreement with the Public Employer, the MS [Minimum Services] are decreed. In the absence of an agreement, the decision is made by the Arbitration Board. The Arbitration Board's decision can be appealed to the Court of Appeal. It is not up to the Ministry of Justice, or its bodies, to indicate or decree minimum services, but only to propose them, convene the arbitration board (in the event of a lack of agreement) and appeal to the court against the decision in this case not in accordance", the note underlines. Also read: Suspects of crimes are released due to strike by judicial employees (Portuguese version)