Questioned in Matosinhos about the decision he would make as President of the Republic regarding the labor law amendments proposed by the Government, António Filipe stated he had no doubt about his course of action and would “fully use the powers” that the Constitution grants the President of the Republic.
“Firstly, I would conduct an analysis of the constitutional legality of the approved norms to submit them to the Constitutional Court for evaluation and, subsequently, regarding the norms I consider harmful to workers’ rights, I would send a message to the Assembly of the Republic requesting a reconsideration of those norms”, he explained.
On the sidelines of a lunch with supporters at the Baranha Basic School in Porto district, António Filipe expressed understanding for the workers participating in the general strike on December 11 against the Government’s labor package, arguing that the “main pillars” are “concerning”.
“It is a large-scale offensive against workers’ rights, and therefore I fully understand the need that workers feel to resort to more drastic forms of struggle, such as the right to strike or a general strike”.
He recalled that although the Government has claimed ongoing negotiations, it has already made clear its intention to insist on what the candidate considers the “main pillars” of the law.
“The Labor Code is already very unfavorable to workers, and with these amendments, we would be facing a liberalization of dismissal in practice, where the concept of just cause would lose its meaning, in that even if the court declared the dismissal illegal, the worker would practically be denied the right to be reinstated at the company”, he said.
The presidential candidate criticized the proposal for instituting an individual hours bank that would require workers to work up to 50 hours weekly by employer decision.
He also warned about the “attack on young mothers regarding breastfeeding” and the “severe limitations on the exercise of union liberty and the right to strike”.
António Filipe expects this proposal to be “rejected before the presidential elections”.
“A President [of the Republic] concerned with the everyday life of each individual, with the problems each person faces in their life, in their work, in their access to fundamental rights such as health and education, and that people can look at the President of the Republic and think this is someone I elected who is on my side and understands”, he concluded.
The presidential candidate supported by the PCP announced the intention to file the candidacy with the Constitutional Court this November.
“We intend to formally submit the candidacy to the Constitutional Court this November. We aim to exceed the 7,500 mandatory signatures by a wide margin“.
The presidential elections are scheduled for January 18, 2026.
