The decision was unanimously approved today by the General Council of the General Union of Workers (UGT), following a proposal from the national secretariat.
“The UGT made this decision after a series of meetings,” both bilateral and plenary within the framework of social dialogue “with the Portuguese Government and employer partners,” stated the UGT general secretary at a press conference, indicating that these meetings “did not create conditions” to carry out “the proposals that the UGT had.”
This will be the first strike bringing together the two union centers since June 2013, when Portugal was under the intervention of the ‘troika.’
Mário Mourão also noted that when there is a strike, “there are always impacts on incomes,” and said the UGT did not want to make this decision but was forced to do so.
“The impediment for the UGT to engage in this strike is in the hands of other partners, not ours,” he emphasized.
In the resolution approved by the national secretariat, the UGT argues that the Government’s proposal was presented “out of time, in a context of economic growth, financial stability, and a robust labor market” and considers this is “contrary to the spirit of social dialogue, as it translates a clear option in favor of employers, cutting rights for workers and harming the activity of unions.”
This general strike has been called in protest against the Government’s draft proposal for revising labor legislation, which is being discussed with social partners and foresees the revision of “more than a hundred” articles of the Labor Code.
UGT reiterates “resounding no” to Government’s labor law revision proposal
On Wednesday, the UGT reaffirmed the “resounding no” to the Government’s draft labor reform, considering that it weakens worker protection and tilts labor relations in favor of employers.
The General Union of Workers (UGT) once again expressed a “resounding no” to the Government’s draft labor reform today, considering it weakens worker protection and tilts labor relations in favor of employers.
The UGT asserts its absolute rejection of this proposal, which it considers a significant regression in labor rights, weakening worker protection and creating an imbalance in labor relations favoring employers, as stated in the document “Resounding No to the Labor Reform for Employers,” released today by the union.
In this document, the UGT compares point by point current law provisions, what the Government’s draft proposal suggests, and what workers will lose if the reform proceeds.
Among the most concerning changes are “the facilitation of dismissals and the increased difficulty of reintegration in cases of unlawful dismissal” and “the worsening of job insecurity, with longer-term contracts and less protection for retired workers.”
It also highlights “the restriction of the right to strike, with the generalization of minimum services,” “a setback in parental and family reconciliation rights,” and “the devaluation of collective bargaining and union action in the workplace.”
“For the UGT, this proposal does not modernize the labor market — it weakens it, undermining fundamental principles of labor justice, stability, and equality,” it emphasizes.
Calling for reflection and public debate around the Government’s draft, the union reaffirms its “total willingness to discuss solutions that promote more dignity, more security, and more balance in labor relations.”
The Government’s draft proposal for labor legislation revision, being discussed with social partners, foresees the revision of “more than a hundred” articles of the Labor Code.
The Minister of Labor, Rosário Palma Ramalho, has reiterated that the Government is “not in a hurry” with negotiations on the draft labor revision but warned that it “will not extend indefinitely” the discussion in the Social Dialogue Council.
The changes outlined in the proposal — called “Work XXI” and presented by the Government on July 24 as a “profound” labor legislation revision — aim to cover areas from parental rights (with changes in parental leave, breastfeeding, and gestational mourning) to flexible work, training in companies, or the probationary period of employment contracts, also expanding sectors that will be covered by minimum services in the event of a strike.
[News updated at 17:32]
