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On Friday (10/03), nurses, nursing assistants and nursing technicians from the public and private network in Rio de Janeiro state have taken part in a national movement of the category to pressure the implementation of the nursing minimum wage. The workers announced that they were on strike without date to end.
The Legal Dispute
The minimum wage for the category was sanctioned in August by former President Jair Bolsonaro and suspended by Federal Supreme Court (STF) Minister Luís Roberto Barroso in September. Associations representing hospitals are trying to overturn the law that established a minimum wage of R$ 4,750 for nurses in the Supreme Court.
Those against the measure estimate that it could generate an annual impact of more than BRL 4 billion for the private sector, without considering SUS funding.
Protests
On 10 March, nurses and other professionals protested downtown Rio, in front of the City Council, Cinalândia Square. On 17 March, another protest took place downtown Rio, in front of Regional Labor Court of the 1st Region.
In the past months, nursing unions have carried out strikes and acts in several states to demand the implementation of their minimum wage.
Our Analysis:
Due to the nature of the function carried out by these professionals, judges normally restrict the total number of professionals allowed to go on strike. Generally, a minority of workers are allowed to do not work so that the health system is not overloaded. Furthermore, the series of protests have been concentrated downtown and in an area that do not offer great risks or trouble. The category is not either historically known for dangerous protests.
