“We demand that all measures be taken to ensure that jobs are maintained and that this service remains in operation, responding to the needs of families who were counting on this service”, the union requested in a statement.

The workers' representatives regret that less than a week before the start of the school year, parents and assistants are faced with the “terrible news” of the closure of the Quinta do Pardais Children's Centre.

The union accuses Santa Casa da Misericórdia of “maintaining a practice of low wages and devaluing work and workers”, which it claims is a fundamental factor in attracting and retaining workers to perform positions of responsibility.

“With wages equal to or close to the SMN [National Minimum Wage] it is not possible for the institution to intend to solve the problem”, the note reads.

Last week, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Albufeira sent information to guardians informing them that the lack of kindergarten teachers in the market had resulted in the closure of the Quinta do Pardais Children's Centre.