“I am not sure that [it is not being instrumentalized], because it is too much of a coincidence (…) the relationship between the CGTP and the PCP is well-known, as well as the affinities between the UGT and the PS. As long as they are not manipulated and instrumentalized party-politically, I believe that the right to strike is a very important right,” stated during comments to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to the Pharmacy Museum in Lisbon.
Asked about the Prime Minister’s remarks, who considered that this protest action only serves to “look after the interests” of the PCP and PS, Cotrim Figueiredo pointed to a chronological coincidence between the calling of strikes and political party leadership of the government.
“Let’s map the interventions and general strikes called by CGTP and the Governments in office. Let’s graph the times when they occur and when, politically, things are more or less tense. I know, and I studied in school, that correlation is not causation, but certain levels of correlation cannot go unnoticed,” said the former leader of IL.
The candidate for Belém indicated that those showing resistance to labor flexibility “are not considering those who are unemployed and especially those who will have to seek employment in the future.”
Cotrim also argued that “part of intergenerational solidarity, and among those who have or do not have jobs, is considering whether defending their current rights is preventing others from accessing the same rights they already have.”
This Saturday, CGTP General Secretary Tiago Oliveira announced a general strike for December 11, following the national march against the labor package in Lisbon. The UGT has also announced it will propose to the national secretariat the ratification of the decision to proceed with the CGTP for a general strike on Thursday.
During the museum visit focusing on the history of pharmacies, Cotrim took the opportunity to discuss the current state of health care in the country, asserting that the National Health Service (SNS) “no longer serves the purposes for which it was created” and that problems will persist unless the current model evolves, preventing effective responses for the Portuguese people.
“Symbolically, I am connecting the cultural-historical aspect represented by this museum with the SNS and, ultimately, the need for systems, all systems, to evolve with the times. The health system is one of them, and I could discuss others, like the education system and the social security system,” he explained.
Regarding the pharmacies’ claim to intervene in minor clinical situations, Cotrim Figueiredo suggested that this issue should have been resolved long ago, “because it is clear that it is easier, cheaper, and faster for individuals to go to the nearest pharmacy” for medical advice on some matters.
“Only corporate interests and the way the system is designed prevent this from happening. A system truly designed with the person at the center would have resolved many of these problems,” he stated.
[Updated at 13:57]
