Luis Pesca of the Federation of Unions of Public and Social Service Workers, told Lusa that while it was still early to make a full assessment, participation in the strike was "between 80 and 100 percent%.


Unions representing workers in northern Portugal were more confident, saying that 80% of health workers in their region had joined the strike staged on Friday. In comments to Lusa, Orlando Gonçalves of the Union of Northern Public and Social Service Workers said that at 7.30am, after half an hour before the shift change, on average 80% of workers were taking part in the strike.


In some hospitals, such as one in Vila Nova de Gaia, he added, more than 90% of health workers were striking.


According to unions, the strike was called to protest against staff shortages - which in some cases has meant people working shifts of up to 16 hours, with a consequent reduction in quality of service for patients - as well as to demand the reinstatement of the 35-hour working week, the negotiation of a special career structure for diagnostics and therapeutic technicians, and the creation of a career structure for higher health technicians.


Unions are also contesting the move to bring primary healthcare under municipal control and other outsourcing moves.


They say the main motivation of their action is to defend the National Health Service.