Firefighters present package of demands to the Government for the sector – Portugal

The League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) presented this Monday to the Government a list of demands, which includes support for training, creation of its own statute, qualification of the volunteer firefighter’s career or tax support for companies that help corporations.

Speaking to Lusa after a meeting at the Ministry of Internal Administration, the president of the LBP expressed satisfaction with the guardianship’s position, and a series of technical meetings are now planned to discuss the demands list point by point.

“The meeting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the minister and the secretaries of State, was the opportunity that the firefighters had to present a set of concerns that have to do with the financial insufficiency of our humanitarian associations, with the issue of career for our firefighters, with employment contracts, with the issue of the social status of the firefighter and the association leader and also the lack of a national fire command”, explained the LBP leader.

As for the device to combat rural fires, this topic will be discussed with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, stated António Nunes.

“Some of the proposals we have have budgetary implications and will naturally be subject to greater scrutiny when holding preparatory meetings for the State budget for next year”, explained the director.

Only in this context “will we be able to see funds allocated” or even “changes with regard to the IRS, IRC or TSU that have to do with support for companies and firefighters”

These issues “cannot be resolved immediately”, admitted António Nunes, stating that “the League has always been at the forefront of defending firefighters because it is not just an employer organization” and “represents associations and fire departments”.

The person in charge maintained that, in volunteer fire departments, the first person responsible for the firefighters is the commander.

“We can only have active fire departments with the operational capacity to be involved in the defense of their populations” if “they have the necessary and sufficient means for their mission”, which also includes the financing of salaries, with “a status dignity and a career”, he said.

The global strategic motion of the current LBP management is the “defense of a salary scale for a remunerative career for firefighters”, recalled António Nunes, highlighting that this is a promise from the Government that dates back to 2007.