During a meeting with workers from two textile companies, Zenaide in Penafiel and Costacurta in Lousada, both located in the Porto district, the leader of the Left Bloc articulated her demands. The workers have been facing months of unpaid wages and are unable to process their unemployment benefit claims because their employer, which is the same for both companies, has not provided the necessary documents.
In her concluding remarks, Mariana Mortágua called for “respect for workers,” emphasizing that this means not only laws but also an economy that serves its people and its workforce. She advocated for an economic structure where those skilled in their work can manage it themselves, rather than relying on unscrupulous operators who may open and close businesses, often with fraudulent closures.
Arguing that this is the necessary “investment,” the leader highlighted the role of the state in sustaining factories to prevent unemployment by having them “managed by the workers.”
“If workers could take over and manage a factory each time it goes bankrupt, outcomes would improve significantly,” stated the Left Bloc’s deputy.
Mortágua also referenced the frequent talk of entrepreneurship in Portugal, inviting entrepreneurs to “assist workers in taking control of their factories, manage their businesses, and protect their jobs, thus allowing them to excel without being dependent on anyone.”
She asserted, “I believe this is the best we can ask for our society and economy to become stronger,” she concluded.
Mortágua later reiterated other goals of the Left Bloc, such as ensuring rest for shift workers, addressing low wages, and enabling earlier retirement for night workers, stating, “Working at night cuts years off one’s life,” highlighting the challenges in achieving straightforward yet crucial objectives.
Continuing her critique, Mortágua questioned the ease with which proposals to “lower taxes for EDP, Galp, and banks” are passed, concluding that when the Left Bloc suggests that workers should have laws on their side, they are labeled as radical.
“Living and working in this country is what’s radical; it’s an extreme sport. This is why I think we need to return to life’s basic principles,” she concluded.
