A group of 16 workers and union delegates from the Misericórdias protested today outside the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS) in Lisbon, following the Union of Misericórdias postponing a scheduled salary negotiation meeting to September.
Célia Lopes, a union leader from the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores do Comércio, Escritórios e Serviços de Portugal (CESP), reported that they were received by two advisors of the State Secretaries for Labor, Social Action, and Inclusion, to whom they explained the ongoing issues with the Union of Misericórdias (UMP).
“This problem doesn’t occur with other IPSSs; it’s specific to the Misericórdias because there is a history of attempting to reduce workers’ rights and failing to regularly revise collective agreements,” the unionist stated. She emphasized that the UMP has yet to propose a salary table update for 2025, despite July nearing its end and cooperation protocols having been revised retroactively to January.
Célia Lopes questioned why the state updates its financial transfers to the social sector without ensuring that these institutions commit to revising collective agreements.
She added that they were informed that the processes for the 2026 revision will soon begin, while Misericórdias workers have not seen their salaries updated for 2025.
The CESP advocates for uniform work conditions across the social sector as the funding is the same for UMP, the National Confederation of Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (CNIS), and the Union of Portuguese Mutualities.
“If the funding is the same, the working conditions must be similar. It doesn’t make sense that, under equal circumstances, workers in the social sector earn on average 30% less depending on their institution,” she commented, citing that IPSS have had salary updates since 2017.
In this regard, Lopes explained that one of CESP’s demands is to maintain the 2022 extension ordinance, which implemented this uniformity that the Union of Misericórdias refuses to comply with, according to her.
“We were surprised on July 11 when the Ministry issued a notice, published in the Labor and Employment Bulletin, intending to revoke the 2022 ordinance that standardizes working conditions, offering the same reasoning that they aim to standardize within the Misericórdias,” she stated.
She added that they explained to the advisors of the State Secretaries that if the Ministry proceeds with this decision, “it will be responsible for thousands of Misericórdias workers not receiving any salary increase in the next two to three years.”
For CESP, this decision is “completely unacceptable,” and they have decided to protest weekly outside the Ministry of Labor “until the government actually resolves the issue” and will issue a strike notice for August 8 for all Misericórdias and Union of Misericórdias workers.
Célia Lopes stated that the workers demand “concrete responses from the Minister [of Labor],” since the implementation of the government’s ordinance would mean “a significant setback, a direct and effective loss for workers.”
