At the end of the meeting with the team led by the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, the union leader said that a call was presented with an agenda, and "the commitment that the formalities and correctness at the negotiating table, in terms of collective bargaining, will be met".

She also said that the federation had the opportunity to present its main proposals, including the issue of the salary scale, which it argues is "very important to update, as well as other measures that have to do with working conditions".

"We presented all our proposals and there is a commitment from the other side to meet again at the table in about a month, at least by May 27, to sign a negotiation protocol. Let's hope that this is the case, we have this expectation, the doctors have this expectation", said the union leader.

She argued, on the other hand, that "the National Health Service cannot wait any longer", it needs more doctors, and therefore a "joint effort" is needed to ensure more doctors in the NHS.

Asked if there was any openness on the part of the government regarding a 30% salary increase, Joana Bordalo e Sá said that, at least, there was openness to listening to the proposals.

However, she pointed out, it is not just a question of the salary scale: "It is necessary to compensate doctors for the loss of purchasing power in the last decade, but that is not all".

The union leader pointed out the issue of working conditions, the return to a 35-hour work week, the integration of resident doctors, who are one third of the medical workforce in the NHS, into the career, which has no budgetary impact whatsoever.

She also highlighted issues related to family doctors, public health doctors and hospital doctors.

"There was this commitment on the part of the Ministry of Health, there is also this commitment on our part and we hope to reach a good outcome, knowing that the National Federation of Doctors will never be in a position to accept a loss of rights", she stressed.

The leader of the FNAM stressed that in order to have doctors in the NHS, their rights must be guaranteed, with better conditions and humanization at work.

"This can only be done through a negotiation that is serious, competent and that complies with the rules of negotiation", she said, hoping that "it will proceed in a serious and transparent manner, without behind-the-scenes games, and that it will not last 19 months".

Before entering the meeting, Joana Bordalo e Sá said that the FNAM comes to the negotiating table "in good faith, with solutions for various matters" to improve the working conditions of doctors, who continue to be among the "worst paid in Europe".

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