The legal mechanism for updating pensions will lead to an increase in pensions next year, with the minister confirming a 2.79% increase for the lowest pensions. Calculations show that increases could reach up to 127 euros per month.
The Minister of Labor stated on Friday in Parliament that the lowest pensions are expected to increase by 2.79% in 2026 and that the allocation of an extraordinary supplement, similar to the one this year, will depend on budget availability.
The year is not yet over, but Mercadona is already preparing for 2026. The Spanish group announced last week that it is already recruiting for a supermarket set to open in Beja.
“Mercadona, a supermarket company with over 65 stores in Portugal, will open a new supermarket in Beja next year, located in the new Retail Park, and is currently recruiting for this new store,” according to a statement released by the group.
According to the Spanish brand, open vacancies for the supermarket mentioned are for store operators.
The Bank of Portugal (BdP) joins other European banks in recommending that citizens should have some cash at home to respond to crisis moments, such as the power outage on April 28. There is no set amount, but authorities recommend 70 euros per adult and 30 euros per child.
“Both the number of transactions and the amount withdrawn increased, indicating that many consumers might have made extraordinary withdrawals, partly to compensate for those not carried out on the blackout day due to the unavailability of many ATMs. It is also plausible that part of the population chose to reinforce cash reserves, motivated by personal concerns and news emphasizing physical money’s utility in crisis moments,” states the Bank of Portugal’s Notes and Coins Bulletin, published at the end of October.
The Minister of Labor reiterated on Friday in Parliament that the lowest pensions are expected to increase by 2.79% in 2026 and that the allocation of an extraordinary supplement, similar to the one this year, will depend on budget availability.
During the hearing on the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026), the minister reiterated that the government will “proceed with the increase of pensions at the legal rate” and “if there is budget availability,” allocate a new extraordinary supplement to pensioners with the lowest pensions.
The Secretary-General of CGTP announced over the weekend a general strike for December 11, at the end of the national march against the labor package in Lisbon. UGT also announced that it will propose to the national secretariat on Thursday the ratification of the decision to move forward together for this strike.
What is the impact on workers joining the general strike?
In a set of questions and answers about another general strike held in 2010, UGT explained the following:
- On the labor contract – “The strike suspends the labor contract, so the worker is no longer bound by duties of subordination and attendance (Article 536 of the Labor Code), losing only the right to remuneration and meal subsidy”;
- On seniority – “The strike time counts for seniority purposes, and the worker is not disadvantaged in their career progression (Article 536 of the Labor Code)”.
