Refraining from commenting on the draft labor legislation reform presented by the Government, which he postponed until a more detailed study can be conducted, Cotrim Figueiredo stated that the proposed flexibility was inevitably going to occur “sooner or later.”
“Just consider the absolutely sudden way certain professions are changing. The emergence and appearance of some professions, the disappearance of others, the profound change in how certain professions are performed—this is all going to happen at a much faster pace, I dare say, than the law itself will be able to keep up with”, the presidential candidate told Lusa.
During the presentation of his book “Porque sou Liberal – Percursos de um político acidental,” published by Zigurate and launched today in Porto, Cotrim Figueiredo argued that it is “absolutely essential that [the law] is indeed flexible and accommodates various forms of work, various forms of providing labor services.”
He denied, however, that the flexibility of labor legislation positions workers as the “weakest link” in the chain: “on the contrary, in all legal systems where labor legislation is stronger, more flexible, there have been more job opportunities for workers and greater wage progression.”
When asked if flexibility might lead to increased job insecurity for workers, the liberal stated that “insecurity is not inherently a weakness.”
“It’s just a need to adapt to change. And I think that living in today’s world and with the current pace of change… being accustomed to having to change is not a problem in itself; it is merely an adaptation,” he added.
The CGTP announced a general strike for December 11, at the end of the national march against the labor package in Lisbon.
Although some presidential candidates are urging the Government to resume dialogue and avoid the strike, Cotrim argued that “the right to strike is something that is constitutionally enshrined” and therefore, “if the trade union confederations believe this is an issue that deserves a general strike,” he cannot criticize them, “as long as that is the true reason and not a form of partisan or political instrumentalization of that very right to strike.”
