AIMA workers announce strike from August to December. They demand more professionals.

With around 25 demands, the workers of the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) will go on strike from August to December this year. The notice was delivered last week to the government, according to a document disclosed by Diário de Notícias.

This strike targets overtime on mandatory or additional weekly rest days and holidays, as well as unpaid extra hours. Among the employees, some have already exceeded 150 unpaid overtime hours within the required deadline. In recent months, all professionals have been working the maximum number of hours to respond to AIMA's high volume of demand.

The National Federation of Public and Social Function Workers called for the strike, which will cover all workers in the federation, regardless of their specific employment relationship. The organization met with government representatives in early August, presenting all the demands. The union regretted that the Secretary of State did not attend the meeting.

According to Diário de Notícias, the situation at AIMA is unacceptable, and employees are having their health and rights affected. Concerns include the lack of workers and burnout "due to the excessive number of work hours and the shortage of existing workers in all sectors." There are also criticisms of AIMA's management and lack of communication with the staff. The federation also warns of the disorganization at public service desks.

Undoubtedly, this action will further delay the regularization processes of foreigners who want to live in Portugal. Arthur Sequeira adds that even the government has already acknowledged that the agency needs more workers, "the only possible solution."