At the conclusion of the press conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting, António Leitão Amaro addressed inquiries regarding the Government’s proposed amendments to the Labor Code, describing it as merely a “draft negotiation project.”

“From our side, the same willingness to negotiate as always, the same difficulty in understanding the actions of some, which, if implemented, will harm millions,” he criticized.

The minister then contrasted the Government’s stance with that of the labor unions: “I believe that today, no one in Portugal is unaware that while some say ‘strike and halt,’ we advocate reform, with dialogue and with rapprochements,” he emphasized.

“On our part, we are here to reform, but we are engaging in dialogue. Other measures, unilateral positions, that end up harming the Portuguese as a whole, I leave with them, and I do not wish to contribute to the deterioration of the negotiation climate that we aim to be fruitful,” he stated.

Leitão Amaro argued that the Government’s proposal will primarily benefit “the younger generations,” who continue to be disadvantaged by the current labor system, experiencing unemployment rates three times higher than the overall unemployment rate and levels of job insecurity three times higher than the general job insecurity rates.

“It is a reform focused on the future, on the future of digitalization, changes in the labor market, artificial intelligence, and the possibilities of telework,” he articulated.