Strike at the INSS should stop calls from this Wednesday; see what to do

The INSS (National Social Security Institute) services must stop partially or completely from this Wednesday (23), due to a strike mobilized by the national federation of servers (Fenasps). The scope of the strike still depends on the adhesion of the organized bases in each state.

In São Paulo, the orientation of the local union (Sinssp) is that there is a “blackout” from Wednesday to Friday (25). INSS technicians and analysts in the state started an operation a month ago to limit the productivity of services, with the objective of drawing attention to the guidelines of the category.

The civil servants ask for a 19.9% ​​increase in salaries to restore inflation since 2019. They also demand the shelving of the administrative reform and the repeal of the spending ceiling – a rule that limits public expenditure growth beyond inflation.

Expert doctors are not part of the INSS staff. The ANMP (National Association of Doctors Experts in Social Security) expressed support for the strike, but said the doctors would work normally.

Even so, expertise can be hampered due to the lack of staff in essential areas for the functioning of the agencies.

WHAT TO DO IF THE AGENCY IS CLOSED

Many services for retirees and pensioners can be done online through the Meu INSS app or website.

Until the publication of this report, the Ministry of Labor and the INSS did not answer what are the guidelines for the insured person who has scheduled expertise or who needs face-to-face assistance for any reason.

Diego Cherulli, vice president of the IBDP (Brazilian Institute of Social Security Law), gives the following recommendations:

1. Go to the branch, as not all servers will join and there are chances of service, even with a longer delay than usual
2. If the branch is closed, photograph the information that will likely be on the door as proof that you attended
3. If there are servers, but they deny service, request a certificate of attendance and the rescheduling of the procedure
4. Call 135 to get a redial request protocol number

According to Rômulo Saraiva, a lawyer specializing in social security law and a columnist for Folha, the strike opens up the possibility for the insured to file a lawsuit in court for granting or reviewing the benefit without having to wait for the INSS’s administrative response period.

As a rule, this period ranges from 45 to 60 days, but it is suspended during stoppages, he says.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE END OF THE STRIKE

Lídia de Jesus, director of Fenasps, says that the INSS has suffered for years with the lack of replacement of retired employees, which overloads workers and makes the service precarious.

The category questions why an increase was announced only for federal police officers, federal highway police officers and penitentiary agents. The disparity generated dissatisfaction among federal employees, such as those at the Central Bank, who also organized strikes.

According to Lídia de Jesus, the Fenasps board met this Tuesday (22) with government officials, but there was no progress in the negotiations. INSS servers are awaiting a hearing on Friday (25) with the Minister of Labor and Welfare, Onyx Lorenzoni.

In a note, the IBDP said that the mobilization of civil servants is fair, but disastrous for the population.

“A strike at this moment will only affect the insured. Currently, there is a stock of 1.7 million cases in the INSS, of which 800 thousand refer to incapable people who are in limbo, without receiving either the company or the INSS, or to people with disabilities. A strike would make this situation even worse”, says the institute.