Nn today’s parliamentary session at the Assembleia da República, deputies Rui Tavares from Livre and Alfredo Maia from PCP addressed political issues concerning labor legislation and the government’s proposed amendments.
“The government proceeded with a labor legislation reform that was neither discussed during the electoral campaign nor included in its program,” stated Rui Tavares. He emphasized that “the only way to call the government to account was to call this general strike” and “force” Luís Montenegro’s executive to engage with all stakeholders.
For the Livre deputy, the proposal should be withdrawn because, apart from being “wrong, untimely, and unjustifiable,” it is also a “sign of ingratitude towards those who keep the country running.”
Meanwhile, deputy Alfredo Maia argued that “in this violent offensive against workers, employers, the government, and the right unite against the right to work and the right not to be dismissed without just cause.”
The communist deputy asserted that “this labor package shows no sign of modernization or even inspiration from scientific and technological advances,” but instead represents “a return to the exploitative model typical of the 19th century.”
“The more the labor minister [Rosário Palma Ramalho] attacks workers, […] the more unity grows, the stronger the conviction of the righteousness of this struggle becomes,” stated the PCP deputy.
During the clarification requests, PS deputy Ana Paula Bernardo agreed with Livre’s perspective, arguing that the government’s proposed changes represent a setback in consolidated rights, impacting family protection, work-life balance, and dismissals.
“Under the guise of alleged modernization, what we see is the old right-wing agenda: setbacks, […] ease of dismissals, […] but also limitations on collective bargaining and union intervention,” pointed out Ana Paula Bernardo.
Conversely, PSD deputy Carla Barros accused Livre of threatening to take control of the central union CGTP (which called the strike for December 11, alongside UGT) and noted that in the electoral and government program, the executive stated it would “revisit labor legislation to improve family incomes.”
Chega deputy João Ribeiro claimed there is “collusion between political power and unions” and highlighted the “people deprived of their right to work” on the day of the general strike. Meanwhile, CDS deputy Paulo Núncio deemed the strike untimely and noted that both this and the last strike, in 2013, happened during PSD/CDS governments.
“You don’t stop attacking workers’ rights,” responded Rui Tavares, reminding that the government cannot enforce the proposed changes without Chega’s support “in attacking five million workers.”
BE deputy Mariana Mortágua noted that “all strikes are political,” just as “the government’s decision to worsen conditions for workers” is political, responding to recent statements by the labor minister and right-wing deputies asserting that the strike has political motivations.
Rodrigo Saraiva from IL asked PCP if it is open to revising the strike law and increasing the representation of independent workers on the Standing Committee on Social Concertation.
Alfredo Maia responded that PCP is “always willing to improve workers’ living conditions, as well as the lives of micro, small, and medium businesses.”
