Speech by Jerónimo de Sousa, General-Secretary, Rally «Valuing work and workers - More strength to the PCP»

«Workers produce the wealth, and it needs to be distributed fairly»

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A strong salutation to all of you and through you to the workers and people of Entrocamento and the district of Santarém.

Our Party is in struggle on many fronts. A great Party, with a rich history, that this month, on the 6th of March, commemorated its 97th anniversary of service to the workers, people and Country.

Today, we are here, continuing PCP’s national campaign of valuing work and workers, that essential component of the patriotic and left-wing policy that PCP is proposing the country.

A campaign that aims to foster the initiative, action and struggle of each worker in defense of his rights, those that are today ensured and claiming the restitution of those that were stolen by the right-wing policy implemented by PS [Socialist Party], PSD [Social Democratic Party] and CDS [Popular Party], and conquering many rights necessary for a life with dignity.

We travel the Country to provide greater amplitude to our vast initiative and political intervention in this domain, and strength to the action and struggle of workers, in defense of their rights and the right to a life with dignity, while at the same time underlining the importance and need for an alternative policy.

A political alternative that demands the creation of new jobs; the defense of workers’ rights; the improvement of their buying power through wage increases; the fight against deregulation of work schedules and precariousness; ensuring work stability and safety; stopping and fighting lay-offs; ensuring unemployment protection; eliminating grave labor legislation rules; finishing blockades upon collective bargaining and contracts; and restituting stolen rights.

In this struggle we are fighting to affirm and achieve another policy for Portugal, the value work and workers, assumes an important priority, considering the labor and social reality present in our national life.

Not that PCP has ever lost sight of this concern and priority in its action and intervention. It is always present in a Party such as ours that represents the working class and all workers. But lately, given the new possibilities to develop the struggle, created by the change in the correlation of forces in Parliament and the defeat of the PSD/CDS government, our responsibilities and the importance of initiative demand a greater effort, in order to take advantage of this opportunity to improve working and living conditions of the Portuguese workers.

This is what we’ve done of the last two years and a half of the new stage in the national political life, using every opportunity, be it through our own legislative initiative, be it through intervention and proposal during the State Budget discussions, be it in our general intervention and action. This is what we continue to do.

With the commitment of this Party, indispensable and irreplaceable to the life of the Country and defense of workers and people, it has been possible, as we hadn’t seen in some time in our Country, nor only to restitute stolen rights but also to achieve new advances.

Achievements and conquests we must value. PCP’s proposals that have already improved or will improve the lives of many thousands of Portuguese.
Proposals translated into measures restituting extorted rights; improving pensions; providing IRS and property tax relief; restituting eliminated holidays and the 35 hour weekly work schedule for Public Administration employees; widening and increasing family benefits; among others that are now widened as the 2018 State budget measures are implemented, with the important and decisive contribution of our Party.

New advances in the improvement of pensions with new increases. But also, a new tax reduction benefiting the IRS of retired works; unblocking career progression in the Public Administration; restituting the value of overtime and night work; eliminating the 10% cut in unemployment benefits; widening the benefits to the long-term unemployed; restituting the Christmas subsidy; among others.

These measures still fall short of what is necessary and was possible. Quite short, we could say, and therefore, here we are, not lowering our arms in the struggle demanding a solution to other problems and other just workers’ demands. But these are advances that encourage the struggle and point towards future achievements.

This are advances that the PS, in other circumstances would not adopt! Advances that go well beyond what PS admitted in its electoral program and that of the Government itself and this is irrefutable.

A reality that proves that the Portuguese were not condemned to a policy of cuts and further cuts in their living conditions, and that the Country wasn’t condemned to a path of impoverishment they wanted and were imposing.

No other party has taken upon itself the defense and valuing of work and works like PCP. But for this fight to be successful, we need the participation of all who produce wealth —workers, their commitment and the struggle of each and every worker, their demands and struggle, and that of their organizations.
A participation and struggle that have always been decisive, in all moments of social and civilizational advancement in our History and that today is also irreplaceable, to invert the context of large social regression we have lived the last years.

The offensive against workers in the first years of the 21st century was long. The action of right-wing policies, implemented by the PS, PSD and CDS, was broad and diversified, devaluing work and its role in the development of society, and attacking fundamental rights of workers and their living conditions. A campaign supported by a brutal ideological offensive that identified the labor and social rights of workers with corporative interests and justified the extortion of labor rights and incomes with the fallacious need of affirming the Country’s competitiveness.

Following a path that widened the pillage of labor, the governments of PS, PSD and CDS of the last years, with each group of measures promoted a worsening of labor laws, paved the way towards a greater devaluation of labor and fundamental rights and wages of workers.

Measures imposing forced, unpaid labor, namely by reducing vacation days and reducing mandatory rest days; decreasing wages, namely with cuts in payment of rest days, vacation and overtime, but also through other mechanisms, such as new flexibility in the organization of the work schedule —the hour bank, individual adaptability, group adaptability, or intermittent part-time labor.

All these changes mean more working hours, lower wage, not knowing when work will end, and often not even knowing beforehand when you begin and end work.

Some workers are subjected to 12 and 16 hour days, to a 60 work week, one after another.

In addition, seeking to foster promoting individuality and precariousness in work relations, with their revisions of the labor laws and Labor Code, they promoted and generalized block of collective contracts, including a refusal to negotiate in Public Administration.

This resulted in expiration of collective contracts, used as blackmail against unions and workers to eliminate rights, as well as the eliminating the principle of most favorable treatment of the worker.

Yes, collective contract expiration means that, in each negotiation, the bosses associations received the option, by refusing to negotiate, of expiring the collective contracts to jeopardize the rights these ensure.

A legislative regression that also promoted lay-offs, in conflict with the constitutional prohibition of firing without just cause, together with a steep decrease in the compensations.

A number of changes and measures that favored a strategy well-defined by big capital that was achieved in the Portuguese labor reality with the objective of replacing workers with rights, with workers without rights.

It is no accident that today 61.5% of young workers have precarious jobs. That there are more than one million two hundred thousand workers in the situation in our Country, and 250 thousand part-time workers. That Portugal is one of the European Union countries where one works more hours per week.
The result was a growing concentration and centralization of wealth in the hands of a few economic and financial groups, an increasing opulent minority, and the impoverishment of workers.

A minority that benefited and benefits not only from the imposition of harder and more drastic exploitation of labor, but also from the financial support of its activities by the State, including to cover fraudulent operations, such as the banking sector, which received and still receives millions of euros. But also from a disastrous policy of privatizations, from extraordinary benefits and incentives of every type, and from a fiscal policy that rewarded the incomes of capital in detriment of labor incomes.

See what is happening with EDP [the national-wide electricity company], not to mention CTT [the national postal service, now privatized], which is another scandal. But just to refer what has happened the last few days. EDP in 2017 accumulated 1.5 billion euros in profit, as a result in part of the increase in energy prices several times over inflation. They reaped those profits, and what about taxes? With tax engineering and benefits they ended up paying a pitiful amount at the rate of 0.7%! Pure gluttony!

Then they say there is no money for the National Health Service or to fully restitute the pillage of workers’ rights and incomes.
It is no accident that today, the 10% riches people in Portugal detain about 53% of the total wealth, while the vast majority of workers, about 60%, receives a wage barely above 800€ a month and more than 700 thousand have a wage lower than 600€.

A reality that has hardly changed these last two years, while the profits of the large economic groups and capital incomes haven’t stopped rising, large part above two digits, that is above 10%.

And real wages? A mere six decimals —almost absolute stagnation! The same happened the previous two years. In 2015, 0.3%, and in 2016, 0.4%!
An evolution that demonstrates, economic growth is not enough. It needs to be placed at the service of everyone and increasing the quality of life of workers. Workers produce the wealth, and it needs to be distributed fairly. And that demands more rights and higher wages.

Yes, the evolution reveals that our proposal, refused by the PS government, to increase the National Minimum Wage to 600€ was just and just was the workers’ struggle for wage increases.

The grave social situation and the profound injustices present in the Portuguese reality can only be overcome with a policy that ruptures with the recipes and impositions that have led, the last years, to workers’ impoverishment.

It is not possible to affirm a true policy of development and social progress without giving an answer the problems of chronic and unjust distribution of the National Income. Without giving an answer to the grave persistent problem of precariousness and unemployment, of deregulation of the work schedules, the problem of steep degradation in health and security in the workplace.

To counter this social and labor reality, in systematic degradation, and to restitute rights and incomes unjustly usurped, PCP has presented a number of initiatives with very complete proposals aimed at recalling grave norms in the labor code, labor legislation, and labor legislation of the Public Administration.

Initiatives to guarantee a labor legislation that resumes its nature of protecting the weakest party – the only type compatible with the project the Constitution of the Republic enshrines.

Proposals that require the restitution of amounts and rules of calculation in compensations after cessation or layoff.

The restitution of amounts and rules of calculation in overtime pay, supplementary work and holidays.

The guarantee of na anual vacation time with the minimum duration of 25 weekdays for all workers.

The repeal of the mechanisms of individual adaptability and hour bank and other forms of Schedule deregulation.

The restitution of the principle of the most favorable treatment and the prohibition of expiration of collective work contracts through successive renovation and to its replacement by another contract freely negotiate between parties.

But also proposals directed at fighting precariousness and the repeal of norms in the labor law of Public Services.

Initiatives and proposals, some of which were days ago refused with the convergent vote of PS, PSD and CDS in parliament.

The proposals that were depleted were not to establish new rights, but simply proposals to repeal the grave norms in the labor code and labor legislation of the public administration that had been previously imposed. Grave norms that have been introduced by the PSD/CDS government in 2003, worsened by the absolute majority PS government in 2009, accentuated by the PSD/CDS government in 2014 and maintained until now by the present minority PS government.

In this case it was the repeat of the adaptability mechanisms of individual hour bank, of group hour bank, of hour bank in public service, the prohibition of cessation of collective work contracts and the restitution of the principle of most favorable treatment of the worker.

PS, PSD and CDS voted against everything. Even the proposal regarding individual hour bank that PS admitted repealing.

The option of PS to join PSD and CDS, and these with PS, in voting against the PCP proposals, and they had already done regarding the legislative proposal voted last month to restitute the payment of overtime and work on holidays, confirms their convergence in structural matters of the right-wing policy and their commitment with the interests of big capital.

A convergence that demonstrates that the great obstacle to the solution of the Country’s problems and the improvement of the living conditions of workers and people —the right-wing policy—is still part of the fundamental choices of the present governmental solution.

An obstacle that translates a strong resistance not only the face the profound problems the Country persistently faces, but also resistance to restitute the rights and incomes extorted over the last years of offensive Growth and Stability Pacts and the Pact of Aggression.

What this convergence in voting the labor legislation confirms is that PS, PSD and CDS want to consolidate the regression imposed upon the Portuguese workers. They want to ensure that the interests of big capital remain untouchable and inviolable.

It demonstrates the clear need for workers to continue their struggle, such as the Portuguese nurses and their class trade union, the Union of Portuguese Nurses we here salute for the result of their two-day strike. A struggle that is simultaneously in defense of labor rights —including the unblocking of career progression, hiring more nurses for the National Health Service, the payment of an income supplement to specialist nurses, or the payment of overtime— but also in defense of the National Health Service.

This convergence also demonstrates the limits of the PS government and its policy in matters of valuing work and workers.

The ideas advanced today by the PS Government in the Social Dialogue [with bosses and unions] confirm their class options at the service of big capital.
The government insists in maintaining the cessation of collective contracts and refuses the reintroduction of the principle of most favorable treatment to workers. The ideas advanced to reinforce mediation and evaluation of motives, prior to the decision to cease collective contracts is not a solution, neither is submitting workers’ rights to the discretion of arbitration.

The government instead of ensuring a State policy that fights precariousness, so that there is an effective work contract for each permanent job position, ending the plague of temporary work, false provision of services, the abuse of fixed-termed contracts, proposes ideas that pertain to limited aspects, which don’t solve the problem and add further profoundly negative measures.

The idea of introducing a level of rotation of workers, a level of acceptable precariousness, independently of the legal justification that sustain precarious contracting, represents a negative element towards legalizing or tolerating precariousness. The payment of a tax by companies that surpass that level of precariousness doesn’t change the meaning of that measure that more than fight precariousness implies its legalization.

A reference to the attribution of tax incentives to companies that transfer precarious workers to effective contracts, that is the attribution of funds to abide the law, essentially constitutes a pretext for a new means of transferring public money to the economic and financial groups.

The Government, instead of giving the example by fighting precariousness in the Public Administration, postpones and blocks solutions.

The Government insists on promoting the deregulation of schedules maintained the so-called adaptabilities and group hour banks, creating increased difficulties for workers to make their professional lives compatible with their personal and family lives, and health and the life of workers.

The Government, finally, admits measures it long resisted and should have been taken long ago, which the workers’ struggle and PCP ended up unblocking, such as the elimination of the individual hour bank or the elimination of the norm that implies that a first job or a job for a long-term unemployed worker is justification for a fixed-term contract. There are also ideas for greater efficiency in the action of the Labor Ministry, but words need to become actions. These aspects don’t change PCP’s negative appreciation of the PS Government against workers’ rights and at the service of worsening exploitation.

For PCP, it is indispensable to eliminate the norms of cessation of collective contracts, to reintroduce the principle of most favorable treatment of workers, to eliminate the norms that facilitate schedule deregulation, to ensure an effective work contract for every permanent job position.

PCP reaffirms its firm, coherent and determined intervention towards the valuing of work and workers, and its confidence that the unity, organization and struggle of workers, decisive for the defense of their rights, will end up imposing the elimination of the grave labor legislation norms.

We are in Entroncamento, a land with profound ties to the rail sector. Rail workers are also a testament of the potentials and limits of the new political situation. Right after October of 2015, we managed to restitute the right to transportation (the right to concessions, to use the rail expression, a right conquered by these workers more than 100 years ago and stolen by the PSD/CDS Government, whose re-conquest had motivated vast struggles by workers and retired workers in the sector. It was also possible to stop privatization that were being prepared, and ensure the restitution of rights and incomes in the public rail companies.

We value these advances, but we won’t forget that, in decisive aspects, the PS Government continued to follow the path of a right-wing policy, of submitting to the project of European big capital of liquidating the national rail system.

The recent Infrastructures of Portugal (IP) report confirms what PCP has long been saying. According to the report, almost 60% of the Portuguese rail system has a mediocre or bad performance index. The natural consequences as a result of decades and decades of right-wing policy, to which PCP has been calling attention, have been a degradation of the infrastructure and circulating material, and the lack of workers and investments.

PCP proposed the revert the privatization of CP Cargo, initiated by the previous PSD/CDS Government, and handed over to a Swiss multinational to exploit the vast heritage of CP at its pleasure. We proposed to also revert the criminal fusion of REFER with the Roads of Portugal, ending an aberration that contributed to the degradation of the rail (and road) infrastructure and that is increasingly specialized in passing larger and larger checks to concessions and big construction companies, who receive millions of euros. We also proposed reinstating the operational workers of EMEF, without further postponing the admission of workers, letting the shops grow older and become dominated by precarious workers with low wages.

We continue to fight for the integration of EMEF within CP, reuniting the rail sector, and contradicting the idea of dividing this company into three parts, and privatizing two of them.

We also proposed a National Plan for Circulating Material, a true development plan, that lists the national needs for circulating material —which are many!— and programs investments for the next years ensuring, through EMEF, the maximum national incorporation of the different phases of production.

All these proposals represent ruptures with the right-wing policy, paths PS in close convergence with PSD and CDS has refused to follow. They also represent objective needs towards national development, aspects of a patriotic and left-wing policy worth fighting for.

Just today, in Parliament, we handed in a number of initiatives in defense of EMEF and the Rail sector, and have a profound confidence that —with the struggle of rail workers, rail passengers and populations— it will be possible to defend and value the national rail sector, valuing the work and workers as nuclear elements of a Portugal with a future.

It was in struggle we got to this point, taking strides towards the recovery of rights and incomes. It will be in struggle ad through collective action that we will go further in achieving a better life for all.

We will not give up this fight!

There are those who would see this fight terminated, this fight for the recovery of incomes and rights and towards new achievements in favor of workers in this new phase of national political life. Faced with the resistance to change, neglecting the power of struggle, they say we can expect nothing further. But this is till of time to conquer and not to lower our flags!

These times have shown it was possible to advance, with the support and struggle of workers and people, despite the pressures and blackmail of the forces of big capital and their allies, and the many resistances also from the PS government.

An experience of struggle, whose results appeal not to giving up and conforming, but to engage in the battle with increased determination, in defense of rights, an increase in wages; fighting attempts to deregulated work schedule and demanding a 35 hour week for all; fighting precariousness, and advancing more vigorously in the process initiated in the Public Administration and advancing also in the private sector; improving working conditions; eliminating the grave norms in the labor legislation.

This is the struggle that is necessary and that will make a difference!

Therefore, PCP will also fight for the complete restitution of the rights that have not yet been ensures, and won’t waste a single change to contribute, in every circumstance, to elevate the living conditions of workers and people.

And will also continue to struggle, with the workers, the people and their struggle for a rupture with the right-wing policy, stopping its progression be it through the action of PSD and CDS, the action of PS alone or otherwise, and for an alternative, patriotic and left-wing policy.

A struggle that is assumed by workers from various sectors and companies, by the young workers on March 28th in their national demonstration, but also in the preparation and realization of May First, called for and organized by CGTP-IN, which must become a great day of struggle of all workers and people.

The evolution of the Country’s situation show that in order to answer the deep national problems and further the defense, restitution and conquest of rights the country must rid itself of right-wing policies, it needs a patriotic and left-wing policy.

PCP affirms itself as the force bearing that policy, a Patriotic and Left-wing Policy. A policy that breaks with exploitation, impoverishment, decline and dependency, and ensures a Portugal with a future, with development and sovereignty.

A Patriotic and Left-wing Policy that, assuming a commitment with the workers and people, with all democrats and patriots, renegotiate the debt, recover for the Country what belongs to the Country —its resources, its strategic sectors, its inalienable right to growth, development and job creation— that ensure the rights to health, education, culture and social protection.

A Patriotic and Left-wing policy that implies, necessarily, having Portugal produce, create more wealth and better distribute it, value work and workers, their wages and their individual and collective rights.

This is the path, this is the alternative for a future that Portugal needs, it is for this policy, affirming the values of April, that PCP fights and will fight for!

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