Under the theme “Todos a Lisboa,” a protest organized by the union federation led by Tiago Oliveira is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. It plans two pre-gatherings in the capital: public sector workers will meet at Amoreiras and private sector workers at Saldanha, with both groups converging at Marquês de Pombal before concluding at Restauradores.
In statements to Lusa, the CGTP secretary-general expressed hope that the protest will be a “significant moment of denunciation” and “affirmation” of workers’ struggle against the Government’s draft labor law revision, which is under discussion in Social Dialogue.
“At this moment, it is necessary to signal to the Government that it must back down on the construction of the labor package,” stated Tiago Oliveira, arguing that the draft is “deeply negative for the labor world.”
Recalling the demonstrations in Lisbon and Porto on September 21 and the public administration strike on October 24, the CGTP secretary-general reiterated that the goal is to “bring workers to Lisbon” so the “Government can see the true extent of the majority of Portuguese people’s indignation” and withdraw the package from discussion.
To ensure the participation of workers scheduled to work on the weekend, several strike notices have been issued, particularly in the “retail, services, restaurant, hotel” sectors, and “some industries,” Tiago Oliveira added.
The CGTP has consistently argued that the Government’s draft represents “a true setback” in workers’ rights and points out that there are unconstitional proposals for changes.
The Government’s draft for revising labor legislation, currently under debate with social partners, proposes reviewing “more than a hundred” articles of the Labor Code.
The proposed changes, part of a document titled “Trabalho XXI,” presented by the Government on July 24 as a “profound” revision of labor legislation, encompass areas from parental rights (including changes to parental, breastfeeding, and bereavement leave) to flexible work, company training, or the probationary period of employment contracts. It also proposes an expansion of the sectors subject to minimum service requirements during strikes.
