Several operators on the SNS24 line are denouncing alleged labor practices that include salary deductions for breaks for basic needs, such as going to the bathroom or drinking water. According to , the reports come from professionals who prefer to remain anonymous and point to a work model that they consider unsustainable.
Workers say that the time used for breaks is unpaid, a situation that, they claim, directly impacts their physical and psychological well-being. The complaints arise in a context in which many of these professionals operate using green receipts, without a permanent contractual relationship.
Breaks that affect your salary
According to the same newspaper, operators receive around 10 euros gross per hour, a value that rises to 11 euros in person. However, they claim that any interruption in activity represents an immediate loss of income. One of the professionals cited by the newspaper explains: “If I want to stop for half an hour to eat, those minutes are not paid.” The same worker adds that there are long shifts in which operators spend “seven or eight hours straight” without breaks.
The issue of employment is another of the most contested points. The operators claim that, despite being classified as service providers, they adhere to defined schedules and follow rules similar to those of workers with a formal contract. According to the same source, this reality raises doubts about the nature of the employment relationship. Furthermore, professionals emphasize that they do not have access to paid vacation, subsidies or the right to strike.
“We are people, not machines”
Another operator interviewed by Jornal de Notícias describes the situation as “unsustainable”. It also states that “all the time we need for basic needs, such as drinking water or using the bathroom, is deducted.” The same source adds that workers consider that this practice affects not only their health, but also the quality of care provided to users of the SNS24 line.
Altice Portugal rejected the accusations and guaranteed that the operators act as independent workers. The company says that schedule management is done “in conjunction with the service providers themselves”, taking into account their availability. Still, the newspaper writes, the operator did not directly respond to questions related to the supposed discounts associated with the breaks.
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