On the national holiday of December 1st, Catarina Martins emphasized “the right to rest for those working in Portugal” while criticizing the government’s decision “to propose labor changes that make an already challenging life even harder.”
“In Portugal, people work nearly three hours more per week than the European average, while wages remain below that average, and the government suggests that workers accept longer hours and lower wages. Today, December 1st, is a day that recalls the right to rest, but it’s also the first day of the month when a general strike is scheduled,” said the candidate for the presidential elections on January 18, 2026, speaking to journalists.
The Member of the European Parliament, elected by the Bloco de Esquerda, noted that a general strike is uncommon in a democracy and that Portugal hasn’t seen such action since the troika period.
“There have been relatively few general strikes, but now we will have one because the government insists on a labor change that further reduces the right to rest in a country where people already work so many hours for so little pay,” she emphasized.
Catarina Martins also expressed discontent that December 1st arrived “without the government retreating” and failing “to show any understanding” that in Portugal, there is no need for salary cuts or more working hours, but rather “more qualified jobs, with better wages and fewer working hours.”
When asked about the possibility of the government enacting a civil requisition, she responded that the government “should not cast doubt on the workers planning to strike, who have always complied with minimum services,” calling it “absurd” to cast suspicions on unions and workers.
“What the government must understand is the need to retreat and propose a change in labor law,” she said, noting that the government’s current proposal “would not pass the Constitutional Court.”
The general strike is set for December 11th, called by the two main trade union confederations, CGTP-IN and UGT.
