STEPH warns strike may continue after INEM's counter-proposal falls short
The emergency-services union says the INEM counter-offer does not satisfy its demands and it may keep the strike planned for next week.
Rui Lázaro, president of the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores de Emergência Pré-Hospitalar (STEPH), told Lusa that the counter-proposal received from INEM President Luís Cabral fell short of the union's expectations. STEPH has already notified the health minister and is seeking a meeting later this week at the Ministério da Saúde to try to resolve the dispute. The union maintains that, with the present offer, there are no grounds to suspend the strike set for 14 September.
A core issue is the handling of 56 ambulances that INEM plans to use for inter-hospital transfers; STEPH argues they should remain dedicated to direct patient care, as previously discussed. The union also opposes converting life-support ambulances into light vehicles and calls for an expanded emergency fleet by the end of 2027. If the government does not reinforce the measures, STEPH says the strike will continue.
