Chamber approves amendment guaranteeing payment of the nursing minimum wage.
The minimum wage for nurses was approved in August by the National Congress at R$ 4.750.
Brazil Agency - The Chamber of Deputies approved this Thursday (15) the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution that provides for supplementary financial assistance from the Union to the states, the Federal District, the municipalities and philanthropic entities for the payment of the minimum wages for nurses, nursing technicians, nursing assistants and midwives. The matter goes to the Senate.
Voted on in two rounds in today's session, the text establishes that the financial surplus of the Executive Branch's public funds will be used as a source of resources to meet the spending floors. According to the text by the rapporteur, Deputy Alice Portugal (PCdoB-BA), resources from the Executive Branch's public funds, determined at the end of each fiscal year, may be allocated in the fiscal years from 2023 to 2027.
“In 2022, the National Treasury Secretariat released its 2021 balance sheet, which estimated that the financial surplus of the Union's funds for that fiscal year was R$ 20,9 billion, of which R$ 3,9 billion refers to the portion of the Social Fund (FS) allocated to public health and education,” said the rapporteur. “We also emphasize that the Union has R$ 40 billion in primary resources for free application. The amount of expenses necessary to pay the financial aid foreseen by PEC 27/22 is estimated at R$ 18 billion,” she compared.
The text includes expanding the granting of financial aid to contracted service providers that treat at least 60% of their patients through the Unified Health System (SUS). The legislation also provides for the possibility of using a portion of the Social Fund's resources to be applied to the health sector, as a way to create a permanent source for the payment of financial aid to meet the minimum wage for nursing staff.
Regarding the impacts of financial aid on personnel expenditure limits, there will be a transition period for the limits to be accounted for within 11 years of the measure coming into effect, considering the first year without impact and increasing the impact count by 10% in the following ten years.
Understand
The minimum wage for nurses was approved in August by the National Congress at R$ 4.750, with 70% of that amount - R$ 3.325 - going to nursing technicians; and 50% - R$ 3.325 - to nursing assistants and midwives.
However, the following month, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) suspended the minimum wage after heeding the request of the National Confederation of Health, Hospitals and Establishments and Services (CNSaúde). At the time, Minister Luís Roberto Barroso stated that the decision was made because a source of funding was needed to ensure the payment of the minimum wage. According to the minister, private hospitals were carrying out early layoffs. Furthermore, social welfare institutions, charitable hospitals, and municipalities reported that they did not have the resources to pay the minimum wage.