Projects in Congress aim to ensure transfers to comply with the minimum wage for nursing

In the midst of debates on the so-called nursing floor, municipal managers from across the country met, this Tuesday (30), at an event held by the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM), in Brasília. The main claim of local managers is the approval of measures that make it possible to pay the minimum wage, suggested by the government, of BRL 4,750 for nurses, BRL 3,325 for nursing technicians and BRL 2,375 for nursing assistants and midwives.

Among the proposals defended by the mayors is the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) 25/2022 which, among other points, aims to increase the transfer by 1.5% of the Municipalities Participation Fund (FPM) in the month of March of each year and guarantee a permanent source of funding for the nursing floor. The measure would solve the impact of BRL 10.5 billion, just to the Municipalities, with the payment of the floor.

According to the mayor of Palmital (SP), Luis Gustavo Mendes, the FPM is a contribution from the Federal Government that is necessary and fundamental for the smooth running of a municipality. “For us it is very important because it is a source of revenue that comes to the municipality and that helps us both in public policies such as education and health, which are the priority poles, as well as the other demands of the municipality”.

Senator Efraim Filho, who was also present at the event, points out that PEC 25/2022 should be approved, as currently there are transfers of responsibilities to municipalities, but little transfer of funds for the fulfillment of these obligations. “It’s no use transferring teachers, community health and nursing agents, which are fair, but without transferring revenues, because in the end the municipalities will have to take from where there is already little, to be able to fulfill these new obligations”, he assesses.

Julvan Lacerda, vice-president of the CNM, highlighted, during the event, that another point that has worried municipal managers concerns social security. In this sense, he stresses that Bill 334/2023, which reduces the social security contribution rate on the payroll from 20% to 8% for municipalities with a population of up to 142,600 inhabitants, must be approved. The measure is currently being discussed at the Senate Economic Affairs Committee (CAE).

During the event, managers also appealed to parliamentarians about the importance of moving forward with the Complementary Law Project (PLP) 139/2023, which establishes a deadline for municipalities to adopt lower FPM coefficients. Another point of the proposal ensures that cities that raise their coefficients based on the results of the demographic census will have this increase implemented immediately.