The secretary-general of the CGTP trade union confederation, Tiago Oliveira, has accused the government led by Luís Montenegro of attempting to negotiate labour law changes “on the sly” by excluding the CGTP from meetings. Oliveira insists that discussions must take place within the Social Concertation forum, rejecting the government's “parallel meetings” with the UGT and business confederations. The CGTP leader labelled the process “undemocratic” and “unconstitutional,” warning that all forms of protest, including a potential general strike, remain on the table ahead of a scheduled demonstration on April 17.
CGTP accuses Government of wanting to push through labour package "on the sly" against workers
Monday, 6 April 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
The General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP – Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses) is Portugal’s largest trade-union confederation, grouping most unions in manufacturing, public services and many other sectors.
Founded clandestinely in 1970 as “Intersindical” under the dictatorship, it emerged publicly after the 1974 Carnation Revolution and was legalised in 1975. It has been central to virtually all major labour struggles since then, from defending collective bargaining and the 40‑hour week to leading general strikes against austerity and labour‑law rollbacks.
CGTP is historically close to the Portuguese Communist Party and has a class‑struggle, anti‑neoliberal profile, strongly critical of EU and government policies seen as undermining workers’ rights. It favours grassroots mobilisation and strikes over compromise, often refusing national social‑pact deals that the more centrist UGT is willing to sign.
In today’s Portugal, CGTP remains a key actor in wage bargaining, labour‑law debates and national protests; together with UGT it called the first joint general strike in years in December 2025, signalling its continuing capacity to organise mass action.
