Employees of the Empresa Municipal de Ambiente de Cascais (EMAC), owned by the municipality and operating under the brand Cascais Ambiente, commenced a 48-hour strike on Monday. The action aims to demand professional recognition and improved working conditions.
Cátia Nunes from the Union of Local Administration Workers (STAL) reported to Lusa agency that participation in today’s strike reached 75%, matching the turnout on the first day of the protest.
This figure primarily includes workers engaged in cleaning and urban hygiene services.
Meanwhile, an official source from the Cascais City Council, located in the Lisbon district, noted that the overall participation in today’s strike was 8%, down from 10% on Monday.
According to the same source, participation among drivers stood at 14%, while refuse collectors recorded a 7% turnout.
In summary, the STAL representative expressed a very positive assessment of the strike, noting it as “the first internal day of struggle” within the company, established 19 years ago.
Cátia Nunes further disclosed that a meeting is scheduled with the management of Cascais Ambiente on April 30 at 12:00.
The purpose of this meeting, explained the union representative, is to present a counterproposal to the management. Should this not be accepted, the workers may “intensify the struggle.”
The demands include “dignified” salary increases, career progression, and the implementation of supplements for arduousness, discomfort, and risk.
Other requests involve a “transparent regulation” of the criteria for awarding performance bonuses and the payment of additional compensation for overtime work that was provided before the changes to the Labor Code in 2012.
In the announcement of the stoppage, STAL also highlighted that these workers receive a “monthly bonus that is not regulated and can be taken away at any moment, without any known criteria.”
