Tens of thousands of people protested in Lisbon on Friday against the government’s planned labour reforms, which unions say would erode workers’ rights and deepen job insecurity by making outsourcing easier and curbing payable overtime.
The minority centre-right government approved a draft bill in September to amend the labour code, aiming to tackle structurally low productivity.
But it triggered the country’s first general strike in more than a decade in December, with unions accusing the government of siding with employers to strip rights from low-paid workers struggling with rising living costs.
Portugal’s largest union, CGTP, said “many tens of thousands” occupied the capital’s main avenue, while police gave no estimate on the number of demonstrators.
Ines Branco, a 33-year-old shop assistant, said the reforms would harm workers “in every way” – from making it easier to dismiss staff to reducing time for family life.
She added that none of the changes would improve workers’ lives.
“With the cost of living rising, workers are working 40 hours a week and still can’t pay the bills at the end of the month, while companies are making millions in profits. This is unacceptable,” she said.
The bill is undergoing mandatory consultations with unions and business groups before being submitted to parliament, where far-right Chega, the largest opposition party, has said it may support it.
“We didn’t elect the government or MPs for us to be used as a punching bag,” said Vanessa Teixeira, 45, a primary school teacher.
Portugal is among Western Europe’s poorest countries, with official data showing that more than half of workers earn less than 1,000 euros ($1,180) a month in gross pay.
Eurostat data put Portugal’s labour productivity per hour worked at 80.5% of the EU average, the bloc’s fifth-lowest.
Although the government has dropped some fiercely opposed measures – including plans to ease just-cause dismissals – unions say major concerns remain.
They include proposals to lift limits on outsourcing and to create “individual time banks,” allowing employees to work up to two hours beyond the eight‑hour standard workday without immediate overtime pay, offset later within an annual cap of 150 hours.
