Tiago Oliveira addressed journalists at the CGTP headquarters in Lisbon following his meeting with the presidential candidate supported by the PCP, António Filipe, who expressed concern over the government’s draft proposal to amend labor laws and indicated he might resort to a political veto.
For the CGTP’s secretary-general, “it was important for all those endorsing this candidacy to speak about what is currently on the table regarding the labor legislation review.”
“They should express their views on this ongoing attack, on this labor package brought to discussion. It was important for each to express their perspective on the goals, on how they see the future of the country concerning the world of work,” he challenged.
According to Tiago Oliveira, the proposals on the labor legislation review represent “a true attack on workers, an attack on essential values,” emphasizing the “role of the President of the Republic to uphold and ensure compliance with the Constitution.”
Considering his meeting with António Filipe to be “quite positive,” the PCP’s secretary-general emphasized the need to “value the initiative of the presidential candidate supported by the PCP,” as it brings a “central issue”—work—to the discussion.
“There is a strong alignment in concerns and a strong consensus on the goals for the future. It’s important to bring this discussion more prominently into society,” he said.
The government approved, on July 24, in a Council of Ministers, a “profound” draft labor law reform set to be negotiated with social partners, which includes revising “more than a hundred articles of the Labor Code.”
