The position of the Worker Representative Organizations (ORTs) was announced following a meeting to assess the current political and labor situation at the Volkswagen Autoeuropa Industrial Park in Palmela, Setúbal district.
“All those present expressed that the draft Labor Law XXI proposed by the Government will face opposition from all ORTs, who are willing to make every effort to oppose the labor changes implemented by the current Government,” stated a communiqué from the Coordination of Workers’ Commissions of the Autoeuropa Industrial Park.
“We urge all workers to participate in the various protest initiatives called by any of the trade union centers, particularly the one scheduled by CGTP at Marquês de Pombal, for next Saturday, September 20, at 3:00 PM, in Lisbon,” adds the document.
The proposed changes, referred to as “Trabalho XXI” and presented by the Government on July 24 as a “profound” labor legislation revision, target areas ranging from parental leave (including parental, breastfeeding, and gestational mourning leave) to flexible work, in-company training, and probation periods in work contracts, also proposing an extension of sectors required to maintain minimum services during strikes.
According to the communiqué, the meeting also addressed the situation of various companies in the industrial park, particularly layoffs and the use of ‘lay-off’ in some companies, as well as a cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover.
The Workers’ Commissions also expressed concern about the impact of production volumes of new models to be produced at Autoeuropa, which could be positive for companies that remain suppliers to Autoeuropa but jeopardizes jobs in companies that have lost their supplier status.
According to information from the Workers’ Commissions, the Autoeuropa Industrial Park currently employs more than 10,000 workers, half of whom (about 5,100) work at the Volkswagen car factory, with the rest employed in various companies located near the German Volkswagen group’s factory.
