“We ask this question because the minister makes a very specific statement. She claims to know of many cases with unique characteristics of children who are breastfed until an advanced age, merely so that mothers have the right to a reduced working schedule,” said the PS deputy Miguel Cabrita to the Lusa agency.
Socialists, in a question sent through parliament, want Minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho to clarify “what these cases are and where they are” and also aim to find out if the Authority for Working Conditions or the Commission for Equality in Labor and Employment “have any elements that can prove” these claims.
“If these entities do not have such data, where does this information come from? Because, in some way, it contradicts the available information, and it is not known that there are significant labor market situations involving prolonged breastfeeding conflicts, much less fraudulent or abusive ones,” he added.
The PS, according to Miguel Cabrita, wants to understand “what these cases are” and whether they are false declarations or false medical certificates.
“If they exist, there will undoubtedly be a record of them, and we want to discuss on the basis of facts and not perceptions,” he argued.
The deputy and socialist leader pointed out “worrying patterns” in the Government’s draft amendments to labor legislation.
“Firstly, in the interview itself, this legislation based on perceptions and not facts. It has happened in other areas of public policy, and now, apparently, AD is returning to this path also in labor laws,” he condemned.
In addition to being a psychologist, Filipa Maló Franco is a mother. Therefore, she views the new Government proposals on parental rights with concern, particularly regarding breastfeeding leave, considering that the focus is misplaced.
Andrea Pinto | 14:16 – 04/08/2025
In an interview with TSF and Jornal de Notícias, the minister responsible for Labor said there were abuses by some mothers in using the right to leave for breastfeeding their children and found it difficult to understand that children over two years old need to be breastfed during working hours.
“It’s a strange statement. We know that in Portugal breastfeeding is below the levels recommended by WHO, so we find it odd that there are so many almost unique cases of children who are breastfed for a prolonged period,” said the deputy.
According to Miguel Cabrita, even if these cases exist, they would be “very residual” and “could never be used as grounds for restricting the rights of tens of thousands of children and mothers.”
“From the PS perspective, what should be happening right now is a debate on how we can encourage and create conditions for more women and families to choose to breastfeed for longer, because we know today that it is a matter not only of nutrition but also of the child’s development,” he pointed out.
The Minister of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security also stated that the days of gestational mourning for the father “do not make sense,” as his role is to “support the pregnant woman who lost a child.”
Carolina Pereira Soares | 15:08 – 03/08/2025
Another pattern that concerns the PS, according to the deputy, is “a strong detriment to workers’ rights, in the overwhelming majority of measures in this proposed agenda,” particularly rights regarding parenthood and family.
Also concerning the same interview, Miguel Cabrita criticized the Labor Minister’s statements on fixed-term contracts and trial periods.
“The minister now invokes alleged fraud and abuses in the probationary period to reopen the door to precariousness. We do not know these data, and it’s up to the Government to provide evidence for the claims it makes,” he challenged.
