Azores Health Technicians Receive Back Pay

Professionals who joined the new career of Auxiliary Health Technician in hospitals in the Azores have already received retroactive payments for January 1, 2024, SINTAP revealed this Monday.

In a statement, the Union of Public Administration and Public Purpose Entity Workers (SINTAP) recalls that the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) committed to assuming retroactive payments to January 1, 2024, when signing the agreement that created the Auxiliary Health Technician career in the region's hospitals.

“It is with satisfaction that SINTAP informs these workers of the fulfillment of this commitment,” the union structure praised.

SINTAP states that the payment of retroactive payments was made by the hospital on Terceira Island in August, followed by the hospitals in Ponta Delgada and Horta, “thus concluding the complex process of transitioning staff from the operational assistant career to the new career” of Auxiliary Health Technician.

The agreement that implements the new career path gives the right to “enjoy the 35-hour weekly working hours” and “complementary remuneration/insularity allowance”, the union highlights.

On July 17, the Secretary of Health, speaking to the Lusa news agency, praised the completion of the process that led to the transition of 428 operational assistants from hospitals in the Azores to the new career of auxiliary health technicians.

On that occasion, Mónica Seidi emphasized that the process would also require a review of the labor agreement to "equalize workers' rights" and ensure "that there is no injustice in the performance of the same functions."

According to the minister, the executive's intention was to review the situation by the "first week of August", since, of the 428 workers who transferred to the auxiliary health technician career, 268 have an Individual Employment Contract (CIT) and 160 have a Public Service Employment Contract.

In total, 428 workers from the hospitals of Horta, Santo Espírito (on Terceira Island) and Divino Espírito Santo (São Miguel) transferred to the new career path, in addition to 300 professionals assigned to the island's health units.

The special career of auxiliary health technician was created at national level by Decree-Law No. 120/2023 of December 22 and came into force in January 2024.