The coordinator of the Workers’ Committees at the Industrial Park, Daniel Bernardino, emphasized the commitment to oppose the government’s labor package, as demonstrated by the unanimous approval of a motion by approximately 900 to 1,000 workers during a plenary meeting.
“We are prepared to extend the struggle to defend our interests against this government labor package. The first line of defense is the general strike on the 11th. Prior to that, there was this organization, a unity between the union centrals and the Workers’ Committees. We aim to convey a message of unity to the country to fight against this labor package,” stated Daniel Bernardino.
“There is a significant risk in ‘outsourcing’ companies where workers may lose rights during the transfer of establishments. It’s terribly concerning. We have already faced some situations here where workers managed to retain those rights. Then there’s the issue of individuals being dismissed without reinstatement. This is one of the most severe issues that can affect workers,” added Bernardino.
Tiago Oliveira, the coordinator of CGTP/IN, who was present at the plenary held this morning near Autoeuropa, remarked, “The government is presenting a labor package that is profoundly negative for the world of work.”
“We are discussing the perpetuation of precariousness, attacks on deregulated work schedules, the facilitation of dismissals, an assault on the right to strike, and the prevention of unions from entering workplaces. All of this is part of a package of over 100 measures presented by the government,” Oliveira stated.
Mário Mourão, the secretary-general of UGT, echoed this sentiment, considering the government’s proposal to amend labor laws as “a civilizational setback aimed at further impoverishing workers.”
“I believe no worker in this country is unaffected by the negative measures this reform contains. Therefore, it should receive an appropriate response. This plenary at the Autoeuropa Industrial Park demonstrated workers’ mobilization and participation, highlighting their clear understanding of what this labor reform means and how it will impact them,” he said.
Addressing an argument made by proponents of the government’s labor reform, which claims that young people no longer value job security as much as in the past, Mourão argued that it is precisely the lack of job security that drives many young people to leave the country.
“They leave because the country cannot provide them with a fair wage or create conditions for them to settle here, form families, with the challenges they face, whether in buying or renting housing. With low wages, they can never afford housing,” said Mourão.
If the government maintains its proposed amendments to labor laws unchanged after the general strike on December 11, CGTP and UGT assure that they will persist in their fight to defend workers’ rights.
