Healthcare professionals in Algarve resort to industrial action
Healthcare Professionals in Algarve's Unified Health System (SNS) Stage 24-Hour Strike
Healthcare professionals in the Algarve region have staged a 24-hour strike on August 7, 2025, to address severe staff shortages and deteriorating working conditions. The strike, led by the Southern Zone Doctors' Union (SMZS-FNAM), the Portuguese Nurses' Union (SEP), and the Union of Public Service Workers, involves all healthcare professionals working within the SNS in the region.
The main demands of the unions are:
- Immediate hiring to fill staffing shortages in all healthcare roles.
- Career development and salary enhancements to retain healthcare workers.
- A genuine governmental commitment to resolving these staffing and working condition issues, rather than superficial policy changes.
The unions criticize the government's failure to allow Algarve to fill needed positions, as has happened in other regions of Portugal. They view government measures such as public-private partnerships as inadequate and merely attempts to mask the real problems. They emphasize that effective solutions require valuing healthcare careers and improving employment conditions to retain existing staff and attract new workers.
The strike aims to draw attention to the urgent need to fill vacant positions and address burnout caused by exhausting shifts and insufficient personnel, which risks patient care despite the staff's high commitment. The healthcare professionals have issued a joint statement expressing their concerns.
Contrary to earlier speculation, the strike is not a response to requests for dismissal and termination of employment contracts, nor is it a direct consequence of the decrease in the number of professionals per shift. The strike is not explicitly aimed at hiring more staff, but rather at addressing the systemic issues that have led to burnout and staff shortages.
Tiago Botelho, president of the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS), does not understand the reasons for the strike. However, he has suggested that the origins of the strike may be rooted in union structures acting for political reasons.
The strike highlights the challenges faced by the healthcare sector in the region and may have implications for the delivery of healthcare services. The unions hope that this action will prompt the government to take decisive steps towards addressing the issues of staffing shortages and working conditions in the Algarve's SNS.
[1] Southern Zone Doctors' Union (SMZS-FNAM) Press Release [2] Portuguese Nurses' Union (SEP) Press Release [3] Union of Public Service Workers Press Release
- The ongoing 24-hour strike in Algarve's healthcare sector, led by the Southern Zone Doctors' Union (SMZS-FNAM), Portuguese Nurses' Union (SEP), and the Union of Public Service Workers, is aimed at emphasizing the urgent need for increased staffing and improved working conditions.
- The unions, including SMZS-FNAM, SEP, and the Union of Public Service Workers, have expressed their concerns about the escalating healthcare crisis, calling for immediate hiring to fill staffing shortages, career development, and salary enhancements in their joint statement.
- The Algarve strike, part of the general news headlines, has been met with criticism from the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS) president, Tiago Botelho, who suggests that union structures may be acting for political reasons.
- Beyond the immediate staffing issues, the unions underline the necessity of long-term solutions, focusing on valuing healthcare careers and improving employment conditions to attract new workers and retain existing ones in the Algarve's Unified Health System (SNS) context.
