Nurses on strike hold a banner reading "We are not afraid" as they gather to protest in front of Santa Maria central hospital in Lisbon, on February 8, 2019. - The Portuguese nurses' strike, which has already resulted in the postponement of hundreds of surgical operations, continued today despite the Socialist government demanded the minimum services provided to be assured. National health service's nurses demand wage increases, better pay for overtime and unfreeze new promotions blocked by the austerity package imposed during the financial crisis. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)