Mar. 05, 2020
Portugal
Feb. 03, 2020
Protests and strike action over public sector pay
With a national protest and strike action trade unions demonstrated their anger with the government's offer of what is effectively a 0.3% pay increase for public sector workers this year. Trade unions are calling for a significant increase after years of pay freezes and for a strengthening of collective bargaining.
Jan. 20, 2020
Unions to take action on pay
Unions across the public sector will be mobilising on 31 January in protest at the government's failure to offer a decent pay rise for 2020. Unions in both the Frente Comum and FESAP public service federations have rejected the offer of a pay increase of 0.3% as totally inadequate after effectively 10 years of pay freezes. The Frente Comum unions plan a national demonstration on the day with a key demand for a flat-rate EUR 90 increase. FESAP unions are planning a one-day strike. EPSU sent a solidarity message.
Dec. 18, 2019
Waste workers take action on pay and conditions
Members of the STAL trade union took strike action on 12 December in the Tratolixo inter-municipal waste company that covers four local authorities near Lisbon. Meanwhile STAL members in the Resinorte and Resiestrela waste companies (part of the EGF group) are planning strike action on 26 and 27 December. In both cases the union is pushing for respect for collective bargaining, an increase in pay and improvements in working conditions. At Tratolixo the demands include implementation of the 35-hour week, 25 days' annual leave and an allowance to take account of risky and onerous working conditions. In the other companies STAL is looking for a pay increase to cover lost purchasing power and measures on career development.
Nov. 20, 2019
Non-teaching staff in education plan action on 29 November
Non-teaching staff in the education sector, members of the public service unions in the CGTP confederation, will be taking strike action on 29 November. Their main demands include an end to the recruitment ratio that restricts the number of new recruits when workers leave the service, an overall increase in staffing, measures to reduce precarious employment and improvements to pay and career progression.
Aug. 06, 2019
Unions set out bargaining priorities for 2020
The Frente Comum group of public service unions has set out its key demands for negotiations next year, many of which focus on restoring pay and benefits cut as a result of austerity. The unions want a minimum wage of EUR 850 a month. They also want to see an unfreezing of career progression, reinstatement of cuts to overtime and other measures relating to annual leave, pensions, compensation for occupational accidents and diseases and action on precarious employment. A complete return to the 35-hour week for all public service workers also remains a central demand.
Jul. 25, 2019
Unions criticise government for undermining collective bargaining
The Frente Comum group of public service unions has criticised the government for failing to respect existing collective bargaining arrangements in the public sector. The government has put forward reforms to public sector pensions without going through the proper procedure for consultation. Instead of negotiating directly with public sector unions the government will use a social dialogue forum that includes private sector employers. The Frente Comum unions are concerned about the impact of the proposed pension reforms which could reduce rights for workers to retire from 60 with 40 years' service, for example.
Jun. 20, 2019
Health union plans 24-hour strike over failure to implement agreement
The SINTAP public services union has organised a 24-hour strike in public hospitals for 28 June. The dispute is over the failure of the employers to implement the collective agreement negotiated a year ago covering workers on individual contracts, the main aim of which was to bring them in line with public employees. The main demands of the strike include: unfreezing career progression for all workers; creation of a career as an auxiliary health technician; wage increases for all workers; increased staffing; the payment of unpaid overtime hours and the creation of a single employment contract. EPSU sent a solidarity message.
May. 28, 2019
Inspectors on strike over changes to career structure
The SINTAP public services union and other unions in the FESAP federation are taking strike action on 30 May in protest at government plans to change the career structure for workers in a range of state inspectorates. These cover inspectors dealing with social security, working conditions, national resources and other services. The unions argue that the changes will leave some workers worse off, looking at as much as 10 years without a promotion or pay increase. They say it will hamper career development, making it almost impossible to reach the highest grades. The unions' view is that it would be better to stick with the current arrangements.
May. 16, 2019
Unions maintain campaign over pay, pensions and other conditions
Local government union STAL and other unions in the public sector Frente Comum took part in a major national demonstration on 10 May as part of their long-running campaign to improve pay and working conditions in the public services and reverse the cuts imposed as part of austerity measures. Along with higher pay and better pensions, the unions want to see clear commitments to improve career progression and action on working time.
Apr. 17, 2019
Firefighters protest over careers, pensions and working time
The STAL and STML unions representing firefighters organised a protest in Lisbon on 16 April outside the Interior Ministry. The main concerns for the unions are about government proposals to reform the career structure for firefighters and to reduce retirement benefits. Other issues relate to payments for oncall time, 12-hour shifts and implementation of a pay structure that the two unions negotiated with the ministry. The unions have been frustrated by the government's reluctance to negotiate, delaying and then postponing a meeting due on 2 April.
Mar. 28, 2019
School workers mobilise over low pay and precarious work
Non-teaching staff at schools across the country took strike action on 21-22 March with support increasing on the second day and many schools closing. The unions are calling for action on low pay noting that with the recent increase in the minimum wage new workers are now often earning as much as staff with 20 years' service. The unions want to see a proper career structure put in place and measures to reduce precarious employment in order to recognise the contribution that these workers make to the education system.
Feb. 28, 2019
Massive support for strikes but government intervenes in health sector
Public service unions report very high levels of support for the national strike action on 14-15 February. All sectors of the public services were affected and this gives strength to the unions' claims to end the 10-year pay freeze and to address a wide range of other issues including career progression. Meanwhile, in relation to a separate action the SEP nurses' union has condemned the government for using its power of civil requisition to end a strike. The union argues that this is an excessive measure that undermines the right of healthworkers to take action and will, in any case, do nothing to resolve the dispute. Information on the right to strike in Portugal is now available in the new EPSU-ETUI series of country factsheets.
Feb. 14, 2019
Public sector unions take strike action
National strike action across the public sector took place on 14-15 February as unions pushed the government to end its austerity measures that have taken a toll on public service workers. Unions in the FESAP federation took action over the two days while the Frente Comum group of unions joined on 15th. The unions have some common demands, particularly the urgent need to end the pay freeze and provide a pay increase for all public service workers. Other demands covered career progression, training and action to tackle precarious employment. EPSU sent solidarity messages.
Jan. 29, 2019