“For the first time in 20 years,” the SNS national health service’s pharmacists are calling a six-day strike in what they describe as a “last resort”.
The strike will run between October 28 and November 2.
“No other class has conceded as much as pharmacists, who have always hoped for a better future,” said Henrique Reguengo, president of the national pharmacists’ union (SNF).
But their patience has run out, and the strike has been called in hopes that something will be done to respond to the sector’s demands.
“This strike is born from the despair of pharmacists (…). All our attempts have had no feedback from the government,” said Reguengo, adding that there are “serious issues that must be addressed.”
The pharmacists’ demands include creating the “pharmaceutical residence” (described by Lusa news agency as the training they must undergo before beginning their career), opening tenders allowing pharmacists to progress in their career and reviewing and updating salaries based on pharmacists’ academic and professional qualifications.
This is just one of many strikes affecting the SNS in the coming weeks (click here).
