The topic is not new, but after the meeting of the Social Concertation on Wednesday, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro reiterated the intention to amend the strike law. This was later confirmed by the Government in a social media post. What is the Executive’s aim regarding this issue?
Montenegro emphasized that the intention is to “enshrine” that “there are minimum services that do not undermine the proportion between exercising the right to strike and exercising the other rights of other workers.”
He also assured that any changes will have constitutional support.
Meanwhile, in a social media post, the Government emphasized this point: “The Prime Minister highlighted that the proposal will be subject to negotiation and dialogue with social partners, aiming to reconcile the right to strike, constitutionally guaranteed, with other essential rights such as the right to work, mobility, and access to public services essential to quality of life.”
What do employers say?
Specifically about changes to the strike law, the president of the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal (CCP), João Vieira Lopes, mentioned that it is not one of the “priority” topics, but “there are no taboos,” while the president of the Confederation of Tourism of Portugal (CTP), Francisco Calheiros, indicated that “the Prime Minister had a very clear intervention,” ensuring that the Government does not want “to contest this right,” but to make adjustments.
“This right to strike has to be considered in the way it can in certain situations harm thousands and thousands of people,” stated the president of the CTP, indicating that the Prime Minister gave examples of the health and transport sectors.
Meanwhile, the president of CIP – the Confederation of Portuguese Business stated that the law “should remain in place to ensure workers’ rights,” but that this right “should not hinder the right to work.” “There are rights that cannot be taken to excess,” argued Armindo Monteiro, stating that these two rights “must be in harmony.”
And the workers?
From the side of the trade union centers, the secretary-general of the UGT, Mário Mourão, considered that “there is no need to change the strike law to solve problems that have occurred,” but showed openness to listen to the Government’s proposal, warning that “there is no agreement at any cost.”
“We are willing, yes, to dialogue, negotiate and find what are the points for agreements in social concertation because that is what dialogue in social concertation exists for. There are several matters that will be on the table, such as changes to labor legislation and therefore we will see what proposals there will be regarding this issue, being certain that we will discuss everything but not agree on everything,” he said.
In turn, the secretary-general of the CGTP, Tiago Oliveira, accused the Government of wanting “to limit the impact” of strikes and stated that there are already sectors where the minimum services stipulated exceed the normal working day that exists in services.
The Prime Minister stated today that the changes the Government intends to introduce to the strike law aim to ensure “the possibility of having minimum services guaranteed” and “to reconcile rights,” “without offending” workers.
Lusa | 11:56 – 17/06/2025
