The president of the National Union of the Prison Guard Corps (SNCGP), Frederico Morais, announced the decision to withdraw from the planned general strike on December 11, following an agreement reached with the Ministry led by Rita Alarcão Júdice. The agreement includes key demands put forth by the union.
Morais stated that the agreement, set to be signed on Wednesday afternoon, includes the full payment for overtime hours and statutory changes to take effect in January. These changes entail faster promotional procedures similar to those of the PSP and GNR, along with seniority-based promotions as practiced by those security forces.
In addition to these significant issues, the agreement will unlock 200 promotions to the role of principal guards, with the possibility of more forthcoming from negotiations, and the advancement of at least 15 operatives to the rank of chief principal.
With the certainty of this agreement, the union’s leadership chose to cancel their involvement in the December 11 general strike.
The SNCGP is a member of the Permanent Coordinating Committee of Trade Unions and Associations of Security Forces and Services Employees (CCP), which includes representatives from the PSP unions, GNR professional associations, the Maritime Police (PM), and the Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE).
When questioned about whether withdrawing from the general strike via the agreement might affect the union’s standing in the CCP, Morais responded that while the structure supports the principles of the general strike, it opted not to join since the Ministry addressed several crucial negotiation points, with discussions slated to continue beyond the agreement’s formalization.
The union leader disclosed that this development was communicated and discussed with the CCP.
During an event at the Judicial Studies Center for new magistrate training, the Minister of Justice refrained from commenting on the agreement and expressed surprise upon learning of the prison guards’ strike intentions. “In negotiation processes, any issues for discussion are addressed internally. Since our tenure began, we’ve engaged in numerous meetings with prison guards and made significant efforts toward reaching consensus,” stated Rita Alarcão Júdice.
