“I have a clear feeling that the UGT is being strongly manipulated by the PS. Frankly. I regret to say this, but I feel they are not concerned with defending workers, mothers, or layoffs, but are only concerned with pleasing the PS. And that hurts,” criticized André Ventura.
The president of Chega spoke to journalists on the sidelines of a visit today, as a presidential candidate, to the Sintra Municipal Police facilities in the Algueirão Mem-Martins parish, where he noted that party members had met with UGT representatives earlier.
Ventura, who argued that the PS “should not use unions for its own purposes,” expressed his conviction that the UGT “is simply being maneuvered” by the socialists.
“We already had the CGTP maneuvered by the PCP, and now we have the UGT manipulated by the PS. This way, there is no debate about workers. This is a political squabble in which the left is trying to gain what it didn’t achieve on May 18,” he accused.
The Chega leader expressed “respect for the UGT,” but reiterated his criticism, calling it “very negative.”
André Ventura also stated that his party would not allow “any labor reform that removes workers’ rights.”
“Not from mothers, not from workers, and we will not allow dismissals in any form, that is clear,” he added.
Both CGTP-IN and UGT have called for a general strike on December 11 in protest against the government’s draft revision of labor legislation, which is yet to be presented and voted on in the Assembly of the Republic.
The government’s draft labor legislation revision includes extensions to fixed-term contract durations, the return of individual overtime banks, the removal of restrictions on external hiring after layoffs, revisions to parental leave, and strengthening of mandatory minimum services in case of strikes.
Regarding the case of two women, aged 40 and 54, administrative workers at a Family Health Unit (USF), who were arrested today by the Judicial Police (PJ) for suspected fraudulent registration of immigrants in the National Health Service (SNS), Ventura said he was not surprised, stating that this case “proves him right.”
“I have long been saying that there are people benefiting from our healthcare system who should not be, and this is not against anyone, but it is easy to understand. (…) What happened is just proof that I am the only candidate right on this matter,” he argued.
The Chega leader also advocated for the deportation of these immigrants, appealing to the government PSD/CDS-PP to take action.
André Ventura was also questioned about a news piece from Jornal Público reporting that Chega MP elected from the Outside Europe circle, Manuel Magno Alves, requested reimbursement for a trip during the same dates he was marked absent due to illness. According to the newspaper, this request was denied because the MP failed, for the second time, to request prior authorization for travel as required by regulations.
Ventura said he was “not aware of the situation,” but mentioned that the MP in question “had a stroke a few weeks ago.”
“Deputy Manuel Magno, after being in the hospital with a stroke, was discharged but was not allowed to travel. Therefore, he could carry out his political work there, but was not allowed to travel to Portugal, as far as I know, up to this moment. And the President of the Assembly of the Republic states that when this request arrived, it was already late. It’s worth confirming with him, but I wanted to give you this note,” he added.
[Updated at 18:12]
