On Tuesday, the 13th of January, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers delivered a petition to the Prime Minister’s official residence opposing the government’s proposed changes to labour laws. This action was part of the National Day of Struggle against the draft amendments and included over 100,000 signatures, more than 10,000 of them from the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
This information was delivered this afternoon at the Regional Legislative Assembly, during a press conference promoted by USAM – Union of Trade Unions of Madeira, in which union leader Alexandre Fernandes stressed the very large number of workers and citizens of the Region in contesting the proposals to change labour legislation.
On the occasion, the regional coordinator, Alexandre Fernandes, highlighted that the objective of the day is to express the position of the unions in the face of the proposed changes to labour legislation, highlighting concerns related to workers’ rights, wages, job security, working hours and collective bargaining.
Alexandre Fernandes stresses that, contrary to what the Government of the Republic defends, the labour package consists of a “regression in what are the expectations of the workers and everything that they have achieved through hard work and struggle.”
The union structure states that this action aims to defend a development model based on social progress and social justice, with a view to guaranteeing decent living conditions for workers in the Autonomous Region of Madeira and the country.
Asked about the expected response from the Government of the Republic, Alexandre Fernandes said that a meeting between the CGTP and the Prime Minister is scheduled for the 20th of January, after two postponements, recalling the recent statements by the Secretary General of the trade union central, who indicated that no form of struggle is excluded, including the possibility of a new general strike, depending on the position that the Government will take.
Regarding political support in the Region, the USAM leader said that, so far, the workers have not felt support from the Regional Government or the parties that support it, pointing out that they have agreed with the proposal of the Government of the Republicto amend the Labour Legislation.
Even so, the USAM leader underlined the symbolic nature of the action with the Legislative Assembly, calling for the involvement of parties with regional parliamentary seats.
Among the most contested measures are the possibilities of extending the weekly working hours to 60 hours through the hour bank, as well as changes related to parenting. According to the trade unionist, the proposals may affect workers with children under 12 years of age or with special educational needs, limiting the right to refuse night work, on holidays or at weekends.
Possible changes in the rules regarding breastfeeding and breastfeeding were also mentioned, which, according to Alexandre Fernandes, call into question “rights conquered over several years.”
The leader concluded by stating that the proposals under discussion with about a hundred amendments will have an impact not only on Madeira workers, but on all Portuguese workers, now awaiting the developments of the negotiation process and the responses of the Government of the Republic.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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