The plenary of the Chamber approved this Wednesday (23), in two shifts, the Proposal for Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) 22/11, which establishes a minimum wage of two minimum wages for community health workers and agents to combat endemic diseases. The matter goes to the Senate.
Processing in Parliament for 11 years, the proposal establishes the right to special retirement, due to the risks inherent to the activities performed. The country currently has around 400,000 agents in Brazil.
“These professionals are at the heart of primary health care, especially in poorer and more isolated communities. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to guarantee that they are kept in their jobs and that they are receiving fair and dignified remuneration with the vital importance of their tasks, which, as a consequence, generates savings for the public coffers in the treatment of diseases and contributes to the development of our country”, justified the author of the proposal, deputy Valtenir Pereira (MDB-MT).
Before the vote, deputies rejected the proposal that would be based on this Wednesday, with a transitional rule with a national floor of R$ 1,600 for a 40-hour work week, while a federal law was not passed. However, parliamentarians defended the vote on the original project, which provided for higher remuneration for agents.
Resources
The resources for payment of professionals must be included in the General Budget of the Union with its own and exclusive allocation and will be transferred by the Union to the municipalities, states and the Federal District. It will be up to the municipalities, states and the Federal District to establish incentives, aid, bonuses and indemnities in order to value the work of these professionals.
