In a joint statement released today, Performart – Association for Performing Arts in Portugal, Rede – Association of Structures for Contemporary Dance, and Plateia – Association of Performing Arts Professionals expressed their support for the general strike, viewing the Government’s legislative proposal as “a grave civilizational setback”.
The three associations stated that “any changes to the labor framework should protect—not weaken—those who work”.
In recent days, the Union of Archaeology Workers (STARQ) also called for the mobilization “of all professionals in the sector” for the general strike.
“The Archaeology sector, for decades marked by false self-employment contracts, unpaid overtime, abusive use of time banks, and unstable job contracts, would be particularly affected by these changes” proposed by the government, emphasized STARQ in a statement.
The Union of Architecture Workers (SINTARQ) also called for participation in the strike, marking it as the “first call by a union in the Architecture sector for a strike”.
This trade union described the labor law reform as “an agenda oriented towards employers’ interests” that “devalues workers’ experience and knowledge, transforming them into a disposable resource”.
Last week, the Union of Performers, Audiovisual Workers, and Musicians (Cena-STE) publicly announced its adherence to the general strike.
On its official website, this union reminded that the strike notice “covers all workers, regardless of their union affiliation, roles, and employment relationship, assuming the form of a total work stoppage” for 24 hours on December 11.
The general strike on December 11 was called by CGTP and UGT against the Government’s draft labor legislation reform and will be the first strike to unite the two central labor unions since June 2013, when Portugal was under ‘troika’ intervention.
This strike aims to “reject the labor package assaulting rights and affronting the Portuguese Republic’s constitution” and “combat the policy of regression, demanding a new direction for the country,” according to the Cena-STE statement.
The anticipated changes in the Government’s labor legislation reform proposal target several areas, such as parenting, terminations, extension of contract deadlines, and sectors encompassed by minimum services during strikes.
Named “Work XXI,” the proposal was presented by the Government as a “profound” review of labor legislation, considering the revision of “over a hundred” articles of the Labor Code.
In response to the criticism from the two labor unions, the Government presented UGT with a new proposal containing some concessions, such as dropping the simplification of dismissals in medium-sized companies, while maintaining the return of individual time banks and revoking the clause limiting ‘outsourcing’ in cases of dismissal, as reported exclusively by the newspaper Público.
SS (JRS/JMF) // TDI
Lusa/End
