Hugo Soares commented on Monday night regarding the general strike organized by UGT and CGTP, noting the intriguing fact that such strikes only occur when right-wing governments are in power.
“It is curious that general strikes always happen when governments are not left-wing or far-left […] During António Costa’s governments, supported by the PCP, there was never a general strike,” stated the PSD parliamentary leader, recalling that the last similar strike occurred during the Troika period in Portugal.
According to Hugo Soares, “there is no way citizens will adhere [to the strike] considering what the Government has done,” citing that “we are facing a government that has updated public administration careers that were frozen for the last 8 years; a government that is implementing the fourth consecutive IRS cut; a government that has continuously increased pensions, especially the lowest ones, and a government that resulted in the largest increase in average salary over the past year.”
Hugo Soares believes the reason for this strike is “a set of changes to the labor law currently being negotiated with social partners” and argued that if “it seems reasonable to paralyze the country due to a government negotiating, then everything is wrong”.
The social democrat also stated, “I don’t believe a moderate government like ours can reach an agreement with CGTP,” stating they are “the armed wing of the PCP.” However, he believes negotiations with UGT are feasible.
Hugo Soares further accused Paulo Raimundo of being “absent from the streets” during the socialist government and returning only because he “cannot stand, from a partisan perspective,” the current Government.
CGTP and UGT unite for the first time since the Troika
The CGTP general secretary announced a general strike on December 11 against the Government’s labor package, calling it a “brutal attack” on workers. The UGT union will also join this strike.
The CGTP general secretary described the labor package as “one of the greatest attacks ever made on workers,” reiterating that “it is a litany of alterations to labor legislation that, if passed, would be a real setback in everyone’s life.”
The general strike will unite CGTP and UGT unions for the first time in ten years.
