During today’s biweekly debate, the secretary-general of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, remarked that he had been the first party leader to describe the proposed labor laws as a “civilizational regression” at the start of August, questioning the relevance of these changes.
The Prime Minister responded by suggesting that Carneiro “exaggerates” in labeling the proposal as a “civilizational regression,” claiming “it does not suit him.”
“Take a look at the labor legislation in countries governed by socialist parties. Observe the labor legislation and what the Labor Party in the United Kingdom intends to do. Examine what the fundamental axes of labor policies are today in economies led by parties from your political family, and tell me if there’s a civilizational regression,” he countered.
The socialist expressed agreement with “humanists, Christian democrats, social democrats who are also in UGT and oppose this labor legislation proposal,” citing criticisms from Silva Peneda and Bagão Félix, and stated, “these proposals offend the youth, offend women, offend families, and offend the most vulnerable.”
“I ask the Prime Minister to explain in this parliament to the deputies which rules in the labor law proposals enable the economy to respond to the digital transition, climate change, and the energy transition. If he doesn’t, it allows us to consider these as ideological choices and a settling of scores with the workers,” stated José Luís Carneiro.
Before Montenegro’s response, PSD leader Hugo Soares made an intervention requesting to distribute the AD’s Electoral Program and recommend reading pages 134 and 135 to urge the PS to “stop lying to the Portuguese” by claiming that this labor law reform was not in AD’s program.
The Prime Minister pointed out a circumstance that distinguishes him from the leader of the PS.
“Your stance is very passive towards reality, a stance that corresponds to what the Socialist Party government was for eight years. Of immobility, of leaving things as they are, merely managing day-to-day, and not having the courage to transform, to build, to step forward, to dare, to take risks,” he criticized.
