Trade union organizations presented 15,000 new signatures, in addition to another 15,000 already deliveredso that the Legislature of Buenos Aires treats a popular initiative that proposes the incorporation of the personnel of nursing to the career of Health Professionals of the City of Buenos Aires.
“As 6,035 health professionals are not recognized within the law, we charge less than half that of the rest of the health team,” said Télam Andrea Ramírez, from the Association of Nursing Graduates (ALE).
The signatures were delivered by the ALE and the Federation of Professionals of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, that were concentrated this afternoon in the vicinity of the Legislature, located in Peru 160 of this capital.
“Not recognizing us is a political decision, because we accredit the years of university education, postgraduate studies and specialties. However, they have us in a general ranking,” added Ramírez.
Law 6,035, which regulates the “public employment relationships of the City’s health professionals” and whose last amendment was approved in 2018 by the Buenos Aires Legislature, recognizes 24 health professions, among which are, for example , doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and nutritionists; however, nursing graduates were excluded and remained as part of the administrative staff.
According to the Constitution of the City of Buenos Aires, the laws can have various origins: a project of some legislator, of the Executive Power, of the Ombudsman’s Office, of the Communes or be a popular initiative.
In the case of popular initiatives, to achieve parliamentary status, they must reach the support of 1.5% of the electorate of the district, which is currently equivalent to more than 40,000 people.
“We have already made several deliveries, now we need a little more than 10,000 before the Legislature is obliged to deal with the project,” Carolina Cáceres of the Federation of Professionals of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires told Télam.
Once the popular initiative takes parliamentary status, the Legislature has a period of one year to vote on it.
