Organized by the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores do Comércio, Escritórios e Serviços de Portugal (CESP), a vigil takes place today, coinciding with a parliamentary debate on a citizen-initiated bill proposing the closure of commercial establishments on Sundays and holidays and limiting business hours to 10 p.m.
Tiago Oliveira, secretary-general of the CGTP, expressed concerns over the government’s program, stating it includes “more measures attacking workers’ rights, more penalizing actions for those who work, and more advantages for large companies and major economic groups.”
The union leader emphasized the need for a “policy reversal,” asserting that “this government will not achieve it.”
Oliveira also noted that the government’s program predicts “increased job insecurity, perpetuation of low wages, and policies favoring big capital,” against which the CGTP intends to “fight for workers’ demands and aspirations.”
He highlighted that since 2010, the number of large shopping centers has grown, but the number of workers has decreased.
“No capitalist, no company is concerned with the number of workers they have; they employ exactly the number necessary for their operations,” he added.
Upon being questioned about further steps if Sunday closures are enacted, such as potential Saturday closures, Oliveira reiterated the central demand for closing commercial spaces on Sundays and holidays, with operations not extending beyond 10 p.m.
PCP secretary-general Paulo Raimundo also attended the gathering, remarking, “This demand is fair, and that is what matters.”
Raimundo acknowledged professions that cannot shut down over the weekend, such as emergency services and healthcare workers, but argued that it is “unjustified” for retail.
He pointed out the injustice faced by “almost two million workers in the country who work Saturdays and Sundays,” insisting they “deserve work conditions, stability instead of precariousness, and time to live.”
“The country once operated with stores closed on weekends, with Sunday closures, and even with stores opening only until Sunday lunchtime. It is essential to return to that for the sake of life,” Raimundo stated.
“What we propose is for large stores to operate 72 hours weekly, spreading this reality and essentially opening from Monday to Saturday,” he concluded.
