Public Prosecutor questions importation of Cuban doctors
Cuban professionals will have different working conditions than other foreigners – the R$10 monthly stipend paid by Brazil will be transferred to the Cuban government. According to prosecutor José de Lima Ramos Pereira, the agency will have to 'intervene' and call the government to negotiate.
247 The government's decision to import 4 Cuban doctors as part of the Mais Médicos program, aimed at bringing professionals to remote areas of the country, will be challenged by the Labor Prosecutor's Office.
According to prosecutor José de Lima Ramos Pereira, who heads the National Coordination for Combating Fraud in Labor Relations within the agency, this form of hiring violates labor laws and the Constitution.
Cuban professionals will have different working conditions than other foreigners – the R$10 monthly stipend paid by Brazil will not be passed on to the doctors, but to the Cuban government, which will distribute it at its discretion.
"The Public Prosecutor's Office will have to intervene, open an investigation, and call the government to negotiate."
The agreement was also questioned by tax auditors from the Ministry of Labor in São Paulo and by the president of the OAB-SP (Brazilian Bar Association of São Paulo) commission that deals with medical assistance.
"The employment relationship must be established directly between employer and employee. The government will be the employer when hiring and managing these doctors, but when it comes to paying salaries, the remuneration is made by Cuba or through agreements. This violates labor laws."