A strike impacting overtime and holiday work by personnel responsible for security and reception at 38 venues of the Museus e Monumentos de Portugal commenced today. This industrial action, organized by the Federação Nacional dos Sindicatos dos Trabalhadores em Funções Públicas e Sociais (FNSTFPS), will persist on all holidays for the remainder of the year.
Syndicate representative Catarina Simão reported by 10:30 AM that key sites such as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Torre de Belém, Fortaleza de Sagres, Convento de Cristo in Tomar, and Paço de Guimarães were shuttered.
Among the closures in Lisbon were the museums of Coches, Azulejo, and Arte Antiga. Additionally, the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro in Coimbra, the Rainha D. Leonor Museum in Beja, and the Frei Manuel do Cenáculo in Évora experienced lockouts.
Outside the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém, signage in both Portuguese and English explained the barriers blocking access to this frequently visited site: “Monument closed due to strike.”
The downpour did little to mitigate the disappointment felt by tourists confronted with closures during their visit.
“It’s not right that we’ve come from Spain and can’t enter on a Good Friday, and we even have tickets,” lamented Manoli, part of a Madrid-based group visiting Lisbon on a brief vacation, which would not extend beyond the day.
Marcela, traveling from Mexico City, shared the visitors’ frustration along with Judy and CK from the United States, hoping to explore Portugal’s capital city.
“I’ve traveled a long way, and this is the most critical place to see in Lisbon. It’s quite disappointing not being able to enter,” stated Marcela, who was eager to tour the Jerónimos and intended to revise her itinerary to make another attempt.
“We’ll try coming back tomorrow, but we have other plans. We’re not certain if it will work out,” Judy added.
Explaining outside the monument, Orlando Almeida from FNSTFPS discussed the strike with tourists, emphasizing that the workers were united in their demand for fair holiday pay and adequate compensation for overtime.
Almeida noted that worker representatives had a December meeting with the Minister of Culture, promising negotiations starting January, yet only one session occurred in late March without any concrete proposals.
“Workers need recognition and fair wages, especially since they keep our museums and heritage open during holidays and weekends, crucial for tourism and education. This demand for appreciation is justified,” Almeida argued.
The union representative detailed how these employees were overlooked in the list of 17 careers the government claims to have addressed, earning merely “15 to 20 euros daily” or “about three euros an hour” for overtime work.
“On a holiday, many need to drive themselves, incurring fuel and toll costs, almost having to pay to work,” he criticized.
Museus e Monumentos de Portugal acknowledged the union’s concerns in a written statement, affirming ongoing dialogues with both unions and government bodies, aiming to address demands like improved overtime wages, necessitating legal framework revisions.
During 2023, Museus e Monumentos de Portugal’s 38 venues garnered over five million visits, not all of which required ticket purchases.
The public entity employs approximately 1,100 workers, according to the union’s data.
Lusa has contacted Museus e Monumentos de Portugal regarding the strike and the potential for negotiations, with a response still pending.
