Alexandra Leitão stated on Sunday evening during the show “O Princípio da Incerteza” on CNN Portugal that the general strike “is not a matter of Left or Right, although the Government tried to frame it as such.”
The socialist highlighted that the participation in the protest was “significant” and “demonstrates a disconnect between the people, the citizens, the workers, and the proposal the Government put forward,” which she criticized both for its form and content.
“It was presented with arrogance, as a fait accompli, but the content is also serious,” she noted, reiterating that the general strike on Thursday, December 11, was “expressive” and “this was evident,” and the Government “did not handle it well.”
“Besides this process being poorly conducted from the start, the content of the proposal is bad, and even with the strike, they did not handle it well. I even have respect for Minister Leitão Amaro, whom I have known for many years, but what he said about the strike, besides not being real, is almost outrageous, it seems provocative. I do not understand the Government’s interest in provoking the workers,” she added, noting that this “labor reform deserves significant opposition from the unions in general.”
Before concluding her analysis of the general strike, Alexandra Leitão further recalled that this has not happened for 12 years and that “it has only happened three or four times” in democracy, so it is not a frivolous matter, not something workers “do every other day.”
Pedro Duarte, Mayor of Porto, admitted on the same program that saying the general strike was “insignificant” is an “exaggeration,” especially since “when we talk about a general strike, we confuse what is adhesion with the impact.” However, he does not consider the participation to have been “massive.”
“Now, a general strike has, in principle, a strong impact on our society. Precisely because it is general, there are a number of sectors that are always affected, and it does not require a large participation to be affected. One just needs to consider schools. If two or three assistants strike, the whole school closes. The same goes for public transport. The impact is significant. Symbolically and in the media, it is an important day, as is evident. However, we also cannot say the participation was massive. Clearly, that did not happen,” he remarked.
Though he did not want to engage “in the numbers game,” the social democrat believes that “the majority of Portuguese did not participate in the strike.” However, in his opinion, “it does not devalue a general strike,” but it did cause the unions to lose their “biggest leverage.”
“From now on, there are still many weeks to close the labor package, and I don’t know what the unions will be able to negotiate with now, with what weapons, with what leverage. The threat of a new general strike is already forced and should not have the same adhesion as this one,” he concluded.
