Pre-hospital emergency technicians will proceed with a two-day strike on September 14 and 28. Despite a meeting between the Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians Union (Sindicato dos Técnicos de Emergência Pré-Hospitalar or STEPH), the Ministry of Health, and the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM), no agreement was reached. The union president, Rui Lázaro, noted that while positions have moved closer, the industrial action remains in place to protest the current emergency system reorganization.
Emergency medical technicians maintain planned September strike
Wednesday, 26 August 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The STEPH (Sindicato dos Técnicos de Emergência Pré-Hospitalar) is the trade union representing pre-hospital emergency technicians in Portugal. These professionals operate the ambulances and emergency vehicles for the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM), playing a key role in the country's emergency medical response system.
ESPAP is the Shared Services Entity of the Public Administration (Entidade de Serviços Partilhados da Administração Pública). It handles central procurement and other shared services for state bodies, and in this case it awarded a public tender launched last year to buy 275 vehicles for INEM (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica) to three economic operators.
5 sources
- “It was not possible to reach an agreement.” INEM workers admit to “approximations”, but the strike is to be maintainedeco.sapo.pt ·
- INEM: Meeting ends without agreement and strike continuesobservador.pt ·
- INEM technicians' union maintains two-day strike 'for now'expresso.pt ·
- Union says INEM technicians' strike remains... for now. Minister guarantees minimum servicesdn.pt ·
- INEM strike in September remains 'for now'rtp.pt ·
