“The Portuguese want dialogue to advance, they don’t want the country to stop,” said the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, at a press conference following the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers. He argued that the government has made “effective approaches” to the positions of trade unions.
The minister stated that “the legislative process is still in its early stages,” using an expression previously used by the President of the Republic. When asked if the government is considering imposing minimum services during the general strike scheduled for December 11, he declined to comment on the matter for now.
“We will not escalate the rhetoric at a time when decisions need to be made, there are not even prior warnings, and we hope they do not occur,” he said.
Leitão Amaro did not address the disagreements among some PSD leaders regarding the labor package under discussion in social dialogue, such as the president of UGT and PSD vice-president Lucinda Dâmaso or the leader of the Social Democratic Workers, Pedro Roque.
“People asked me who benefits from this strike, and I can assure you who does not: the Portuguese, who will be stranded at train stations, at the doors of public services, who want to work but cannot, who want to leave their children to learn but cannot,” he pointed out, after the Prime Minister suggested that the strike only serves the partisan interests of PS and PCP.
The Minister of the Presidency refrained from discussing any specific meeting with UGT, countering that many discussions have occurred, and argued that “the government is taking concrete steps, making effective approaches to social partners, demonstrating a genuine, real, and serious openness to dialogue.”
“It’s not understood, and I believe the Portuguese don’t understand, why, during a phase of conversations and dialogue, a strike is planned to halt the country,” he stated.
Leitão Amaro reiterated some arguments already made by the Prime Minister, saying that the general strike “is incomprehensible” when there are increases in minimum and average wages, tax cuts, and a “history of agreements” on labor issues during the year and a half of PSD/CDS-PP governance.
“No one understands why some want to stop the country, harming the lives of millions,” he criticized.
Faced with journalists’ persistence—who also questioned whether the government will negotiate the labor package exclusively with Chega—the minister reiterated only, at this stage, the willingness to engage in social dialogue.
“Open doors, open arms to dialogue, and a proactive effort to make connections,” he summarized.
UGT Advances (with CGTP) for General Strike on December 11
UGT approved today the decision to move forward, in convergence with CGTP, for a general strike on December 11 against the government’s draft labor law reform, an announcement made after the conclusion of the Council of Ministers press conference.
The decision was unanimously approved by acclamation by the General Council of the General Union of Workers (UGT), based on a proposal from the national secretariat.
This will be the first strike to unite the two major trade union centers since June 2013, when Portugal was under the ‘troika’ intervention.
UGT remains firm and approved today the decision to move forward, in convergence with CGTP, for a general strike on December 11 against the government’s draft labor law reform, as announced today.
Notícias ao Minuto with Lusa | 15:19 – 13/11/2025
