“The Prime Minister is right when he says that this is a strike with political reasons, but they are valid reasons,” stated the Livre-supported candidate. He emphasized that “there are political reasons for this strike, just not the ones the Prime Minister claims.”
Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of the 40th Congress of the European Greens in Lisbon, Jorge Pinto accused the government of aiming to further diminish workers’ rights through the planned changes, in a country already ranked second for the most precarious workers in Europe.
“It is a political reason because these workers want the means to pay for their homes. It’s a political reason because workers remain precarious for two years and do not want to remain so for three years,” he argued.
The Livre deputy also argued that the proposed amendments do nothing to address the gender wage gap and stated that the core workers’ right—the right to strike—is also under attack.
“Workers have every reason to strike. I will stand by them on Thursday because none of these more than 100 amendment proposals address the pressing needs and problems of the Portuguese workforce,” he criticized.
Jorge Pinto highlighted the presence of “two visions for the country.”
“The government’s vision prioritizes low wages, easier dismissals, and more precariousness. The alternative vision, which I believe in, is distinguished by high-value-added economics, high wages, and giving workers and the economy the conditions to assert ourselves on a European level,” he said.
“Since none of this is on the table, it is more than legitimate for Portuguese workers to return to the streets 12 years after the last general strike. The matter at hand is their rights, the rights of their families—to live with dignity, with fair wages, and decent working conditions,” Jorge Pinto maintained.
The presidential candidate also mentioned his upcoming television debate on the day of the general strike (December 11) with André Ventura, as part of the January 18 election campaign, where he plans to confront his opponent “over his inconsistencies.”
“For someone claiming to side with the Portuguese and workers, he will play the useful idiot role facilitating these changes to be approved in the Assembly of the Republic, as I’ve stated,” he accused.
Jorge Pinto expressed no surprise that someone funded their entire life by major Portuguese entrepreneurs would now stand against Portuguese workers.
“What I will do is expose his hypocrisy, spend the day alongside Portuguese workers, and spend the night debating, standing by the workers, showing them that there are those in this campaign genuinely on their side, defending their rights and those of their families,” he stated.
Jorge Pinto also announced that he has gathered more than the 7,500 signatures required to request the officialization of his candidacy with the Constitutional Court, currently having approximately nine thousand signatures.
