“The President of the Republic only has powers over the final text approved by the Assembly of the Republic, but I want to make it clear that I am very concerned about what is in the government’s draft proposal [on changes to labor legislation], on several levels,” António Filipe told journalists after a meeting with the CGTP in Lisbon.
When asked if he would consider vetoing the decree, the presidential candidate backed by the PCP stated that “there is a very broad set of threats to workers’ rights” in the known proposals.
“If elected President of the Republic, and if these norms that I consider most serious are included in a final text submitted to me, I would not hesitate to express my opinion, either by taking to the Constitutional Court what I consider to have constitutionality problems, or by expressing my opinion, exercising, if necessary, the political veto on these matters,” he admitted.
Assuming that a parliamentary reassessment could result in the reconfirmation of the same decree due to an “absolute parliamentary majority” that could override the veto, António Filipe argued that “the President of the Republic should not refrain from having an opinion on matters within legislative decrees.”
“And, believing that the right of veto should be exercised, despite its limitations, should not refrain from doing so,” he asserted, considering that in defending workers’ rights, the President should resort to all mechanisms provided by the Constitution.
In addition to issues regarding maternity rights, the presidential candidate and former deputy pointed out in this government draft “a set of norms for greater precarization of employment contracts, greater deregulation of working hours, devaluation of collective bargaining, reduction of union freedom, and reduction of the right to strike.”
“Including norms that point to the violation of the principle of prohibition of dismissal without just cause, in that it is foreseen that even if the illegality of the dismissal is recognized and the right to reinstatement is acknowledged, the worker might not be reinstated,” he criticized.
