On December 4th, thousands of local administration workers held a protest march in Lisbon demanding respect for collective contracts and publication of the Collective Public Employer Agreement (ACEP) that enshrines the 35 hour workweek, as well as reaffirms the constitutional autonomy of Local Power.
The Government wants to illegally impose the 40 hour workweek, upon workers and municipalities, going above collective bargaining and the autonomy of Local Power.
Jerónimo de Sousa, general secretary of PCP, was present in this action, summoned by the Local Administration Workers Trade Union (STAL) and the Lisbon Municipal Workers Trade Union (STML), where he demonstrated the solidarity of PCP with the worker’s struggle against the interference of the Government in the agreement established between the municipalities and workers, which “entails a blow on worker’s rights and simultaneously a loss regarding the autonomy of Local Power” when “the Government tries to impose, against this agreement, an arbitrary measure that aims only to increase worker exploitation and fight Local Power autonomy”.
Also on this day, workers of the Social Security Institute (ISS) held a rally near the Ministry’s headquarters, on a day of national strike against requalification/lay-offs, in defense of job stability and Social Security.
Under the pretext of “requalifying” Social Security, the Government aims to immediately eliminate seven hundred jobs. In the State Budget for 2015, the Government included a goal of 58 million euros, to reduce expenses with personnel costs, towards “requalification”. These lay-offs without just cause represent a trial balloon to this form of collective lay-off before its application in other areas, but the workers and their organizations respond with unity, determination and struggle, to defeat yet another attack.
PCP’s member of Parliament, Rita Rato, present in the rally, in solidarity with the worker’s struggle, considered that the “struggle of the Social Security workers is a struggle in defense of jobs, against the lay-off of 700 workers, but also in defense of the 35 hour workweek, against the general labor law in public functions that has as its objectives cutting wages and rights. A struggle in defense of quality public services and in defense of values enshrined in the April Constitution, a struggle that is a sign of hope and confidence in the strength of Portuguese workers to defeat this policy and government”.
