The President of the Government restated today in Angra do Heroísmo the importance the Government attaches to employment issues, reminding the measures that make up the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness and the programmes that have been launched thereafter.

"These initiatives are being already implemented and we believe that they will help us facing the problem of unemployment in the best way possible and creating the conditions to foster the creation of jobs," stated Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government spoke to journalists at the end of an audience granted to CGTP/Açores (General Union of Workers/Azores), which delivered to him the list of workers' claims.

Vasco Cordeiro noted that the measures implemented already include the reinforcement of the skills of the unemployed and the provision of support to companies so that they may be able to increase their activity and create more jobs.

With regard to the increase of the regional minimum wage supplement, the President of the Government said that this measure will be implemented as soon as the conditions are favourable with the aim of promoting domestic consumption.

"We understand that the current context does not allow us to implement this measure," Vasco Cordeiro said, ensuring that, once we overcome "the current situation," the increase of the regional minimum wage will be the step to take."

The President of the Government revealed that this is one of the issues that the Regional Government does not have the same understanding as the General Union, being also in disagreement with the National Government.

"There is a fundamental difference between what is the understanding of the Regional Government and that of the National Government. We consider that the context we currently face and the feeble situation of companies are the reasons that prevent us from moving forward with this measure, contrary to the position taken by the National Government, according to which this is a structural issue that should improve employability conditions," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.

Before the meeting with CGTP/ Açores, the President of the Government received the Board of the Regional Nurses' Association at an audience where several issues concerning the improvement of the operation of the Regional Health Service (SRS) were addressed.

In this context, Vasco Cordeiro stressed that various projects were discussed, including the Nurse Practitioner project, which will contribute to the accomplishment of a common goal for both the Nurses' Association and the Regional Government: "the improvement of health care, the improvement of accessibility and the assurance that we have a SRS that provides a better service to the Azorean population."