Opinion – Rômulo Saraiva: In the clash between INSS and doctors, the worker loses

In the INSS (National Social Security Institute) career, the position of federal medical expert is one of the best paid and strategic. If they stop, they cause serious consequences for the functioning of the public agency and the lives of thousands of policyholders.

By the way, the technicians, analysts and social workers that make up the institute’s structure depend on the doctors’ scrutiny to complete most of the demands. Considering social security and assistance benefits, about 65% of them need to be evaluated by doctors.

And doctors are aware of that. This dependency is being used as a bargaining chip with the government for an extensive demand agenda, headed by the 19.99% salary readjustment.

Last week, just one day of stoppage cost the rescheduling of 25,000 forensics. As it had no effect, the goal doubled and the experts, when defining a new strike on February 8 and 9, predicted the cancellation of another 50,000 investigations on average across the country. This Tuesday, the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) determined the suspension of the professionals’ strike.

If mobilization does not work, a general strike may loom. The last one, in 2015, left more than 2 million people without expertise and with deferred benefits.

The salary readjustment is one of the demands of the ANMP (National Association of Expert Physicians). Natural, since the entire civil service is also persecuting him. Also, due to the proximity of the elections, the Electoral Law prohibits a salary increase above inflation within the six-month period prior to the month of October. This shortens the deadline until April, if the increase is desired later this year.

With the exception of the category of federal police, federal highway officers and penitentiary agents, who had the promise of readjustment from President Jair Bolsonaro, the other public servants should not have the same luck.

The experts’ differential is that their movement has strong social appeal, mainly because it involves the poor segment of the population that cannot remain without benefits for so long. According to the last Social Security Statistical Bulletin of November, most families that depend on the expertise have an average income of up to R$ 2,400 per month. This bothers the government, especially in an election year.

Precisely because of this, it is expected that the government and the association will reach a good term, although the claim agenda is not simple. In addition to the increase, there are 18 points to be traded. They range from historical issues, such as better working conditions to the readjustment of health posts and the immediate promotion of a public tender for experts.

But they also involve controversial issues. The association requires the end of tele-expertise (timely service in the pandemic and for policyholders with mobility difficulties and with residence far from the post), in addition to limiting the number of face-to-face consultations per day to 12. Physicians also seek to file all PADs (Disciplinary Administrative Processes) and investigations of the undersecretary, change their board, in addition to the right to be able to enjoy holidays, recesses and optional points, without being linked to the INSS schedule. The number and diversity of claims can complicate the solution of the impasse and penalize those who depend on income.

It is important to note that, although the INSS pays the bill from the first date of the appointment, the guarantee of not having a default does not alleviate the situation of those who are in a hurry. As sociologist Herbert de Souza, known as Betinho (1935-1997) said: “Whoever is hungry is in a hurry”.