Present at the inauguration ceremony of the new president of the Bar Association held at its headquarters in Lisbon, Rita Alarcão Júdice addressed reporters regarding Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s suggestion of reevaluating strike laws in light of the ongoing CP strike. She stated there are no absolute rules in this matter.
“We have no dogmas, and the right to strike is a highly valued right, fought for by workers and should be preserved. However, we must also consider when the right to strike is used as a political campaign tool. We are on the brink of elections, under a caretaker government, making it very difficult, if not impossible, for the government to meet some demands being raised at this time,” the minister expressed.
Rita Alarcão Júdice emphasized the importance of the right to work and other rights, echoing Luís Montenegro’s stance, she said.
“The manner in which this is being conducted raises concerns. Those affected by the strike’s impact on a daily basis must question why this is happening and why it’s possible for a group of workers to completely paralyze a country,” she remarked.
While rejecting the restriction of the right to strike, Rita Alarcão Júdice stressed the importance of reflection by the next administration on the ongoing situation and questioned the lack of minimum services.
“I don’t want to comment on the specific decision as I am not familiar with it nor have I analyzed it, but it’s peculiar that in such cases, there is no decree for minimum services when it is clear that there has been a significant and severe impact on numerous citizens,” the minister questioned.
The PSD president argued today that “political, party, and electoral influences” prevented avoiding the CP strike and suggested that it might be necessary to amend the law to balance the right to strike with other rights.
Speaking to journalists during a campaign event in Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, the Prime Minister commented on the CP strike, which is on its second day without minimum services, describing it as “utterly unjust,” and stated that the government “did everything to prevent it.”
“It is my belief and the belief of the government members involved in this process that political, party, and electoral influences ultimately led to the inevitable outcome of a negotiation process,” he stated.
However, Montenegro warned that the government will not negotiate under the pressure of being ten days away from elections — especially as it is a caretaker government — and issued a caution for the future.
