Protesters gathered at 10:30 AM at Largo Camões, near Chiado in Lisbon, from where they proceeded to the Assembly of the Republic in protest.
Cristina Torres, a leader of STAL, stated that workers are demanding an increase in all salaries, including operational assistants, technical assistants, and senior technicians, due to the rising cost of living and the inadequacy of current wages to meet daily needs.
STAL has supported the proposal put forward by the Common Front and other Public Administration unions, advocating for an interim revision of the minimum wage to reach 1,000 euros this year, with a minimum increase of 150 euros for all workers.
Workers are also demanding an increase in meal allowances, general career enhancements, and the restoration of local administration careers.
Torres highlighted the ongoing issue of the “eternal supplement” for arduous and hazardous work, a struggle over 30 years old, which became a reality in 2021 but is not universally applied. Some municipalities implement it while others do not, and it remains restricted to operational assistants in local government.
The majority of municipalities already apply this supplement, Torres noted, but some workers are seeking legal remedies to secure it.
Unions are also calling for a duty and availability allowance, which does not currently exist, to compensate workers required to be on call for emergencies, such as workers in the water sector who need to be available for possible ruptures.
According to Torres, about 137,000 local government workers earn the minimum wage of 870 euros, with starting technical assistants earning around 900 euros and senior technicians starting at 1,400 euros.
STAL has renewed a request for a meeting with the Secretary of State for Local Administration and Territorial Management to present their demands once more, but has yet to receive a response.
