Latest news and stories about employment contracts in Portugal for expats and residents.
Research grant holders are gathering this Thursday outside the Ministry of Science. They are calling for the end of grants and their replacement with employment contracts, as is the case in other sectors.
The new hiring process for school staff may leave out specialized technical professionals.
The Government has submitted a new document to the UGT and business confederations regarding amendments to labour law, specifically insisting on the extension of contract terms and modifying the sectors covered by minimum services in the event of a strike.
The Government has submitted a new document to the UGT and business confederations regarding labour law amendments, specifically pushing for longer contract terms and modifying the sectors subject to minimum services during strikes. The proposal includes extending fixed-term contracts from two to three years and uncertain-term contracts from four to five years. It also introduces a provision for fixed-term contracts in cases of formally declared calamities and maintains the possibility of non-reinstatement for unlawful dismissals, subject to compensation. Regarding the individual 'time bank' system, now termed 'time bank by agreement', the government proposes allowing it in the absence of collective bargaining. Furthermore, the document refines the list of sectors requiring minimum services during strikes, removing food supply and private security, while clarifying that childcare services refer specifically to institutionalised children. The Ministry of Labour stated it would not comment on the document, describing it as a status report on ongoing negotiations rather than a final government proposal.
Parliament rejected this Thursday, in a final global vote, the proposal that the admission of new workers would have to be reported by the day before the employment contract takes effect, meaning current rules remain in place. At issue were changes to the Government's decree-law that amended the Code of Contributory Regimes of the Social Security System.
The precarious situation arises from the lack of employment contracts, according to the Association of Scientific Research Fellows, which reported the difficulties to the Secretary of State.
The Portuguese Public Prosecutor's Office has charged 15 individuals and six companies in a scheme that facilitated illegal immigration by falsifying employment contracts. The operation, called 'Contrato Formoso,' uncovered a network led by Mustafiz Sairniabat, based in Lisbon, which charged migrants around €6,000 for fake documentation and work contracts. Sairniabat allegedly received nearly €449,000 from 2020 to 2025 through these services. The scheme involved creating false employment records, recruiting vulnerable Portuguese citizens to sign fake residence attestations for small payments, and establishing fake companies to legitimize the process. The network's activities resulted in the legal legalization of thousands of migrants using fraudulent documents, highlighting a significant immigration fraud operation in Portugal.
These are some of the points that continue to separate the UGT, the Government, and employers regarding the labour package. Employers respond to Seguro's appeal and agree to return to the negotiating table.
The Minister of Labour meets with UGT this Tuesday to resume negotiations on the new labour law. She has already made it clear: the Government is not willing to go back to square one, as suggested by the trade union. Employment contracts, dismissals, working hours, and outsourcing are some of the issues at stake.
Can companies shape the salary package and allow workers to choose what suits them best? INEM helicopters: where can they actually land? Write to foradobaralho@observador.pt
The two individuals “managed companies used to issue false employment contracts and other documents intended to allow Indian citizens to register on the SEF platform.”
