Portugal’s Presidency Minister, António Leitão Amaro, downplayed the nationwide general strike on Thursday, stating that its impact is negligible across sectors such as transport and healthcare. The Government believes the participation level is “insignificant,” contrary to union reports.
“This seems more like a partial civil service strike. The country is working. The strike participation is insignificant,” said the Presidency Minister during a press conference in Lisbon assessing the strike’s impact. “The vast majority of the country is working,” he concluded.
“We respect those who are striking, but we observe that the country has chosen to work,” added Leitão Amaro, emphasizing that the inability of some to work was due to transport disruptions.
Leitão Amaro cited payment data to dismiss the strike’s impact: “Transactions via SIBS, indicating whether the country maintains financial commercial activity, are currently down by 7% compared to normal periods.”
He also noted that “traffic on the southern bridges to Lisbon, with Lisbon being one of the most impacted areas, is down by 5%,” describing this as “an insignificant impact.”
The Presidency Minister asserted that the government remains “always open to dialogue,” which “yields results.”
Leitão Amaro reiterated payment data to downplay the strike’s impact: “Transactions via SIBS, indicating commercial financial activity, are currently down by 7% compared to normal periods.”
He reiterated that “traffic on the southern bridges to Lisbon is down by 5%,” seen as “an insignificant impact.”
The Presidency Minister ensured that the government is “always open to dialogue,” which “yields results.”
CGTP Claims Over Three Million on Strike
In contrast, CGTP presents a different view on the strike’s participation, estimating that over three million people joined the general strike on Thursday, December 11. The announcement came from the union’s secretary-general shortly after the Government downplayed the strike’s significance.
“Today’s general strike is one of the largest ever, if not the largest,” said Tiago Oliveira in a press conference about the strike, where he revealed a participation of over three million workers.
CGTP estimates over three million people joined the general strike on Thursday, stated the union’s secretary-general shortly after the Government dismissed the strike’s significance.
Beatriz Vasconcelos | 13:17 – 11/12/2025
According to the union leader, this represents “an unequivocal force demanding higher wages and more rights.”
“Today we have a great, great, great strike,” he concluded.
The December 11 general strike was called by CGTP and UGT against the proposed revision of the Labor Code and marks the first joint strike by both centers since June 2013, during Portugal’s intervention by the ‘troika’.
[News updated at 13:31]
