Latest news and stories about unions in government in Portugal for expats and residents.
UGT Secretary-General Mário Mourão asserts the union will remain firm against government labour reform proposals, dismissing attempts to fracture the organization while considering participation in the upcoming CGTP-led general strike.
UGT deputy secretary-general Sérgio Monte indicates that the union is likely to reject the government's proposed labour law changes, aligning with public sentiment and CGTP's stance ahead of a formal decision.
Mário Mourão used the workers' celebration at Jamor to harden the standoff with Montenegro's executive and emphasize the internal unity of the trade union centre.
The trade union centre symbolically chose Workers' Day to call for a general strike on June 3rd. The UGT 'does not exclude' participating, but is waiting for the social concertation meeting on May 7th.
More than invoking representativeness, which it lacks, the UGT could offer what the country and trade unionism are missing: commitment and responsibility.
Even with the new rejection from the UGT, the Government is giving the trade union federation another 15 days to show a willingness to compromise. Is there still time for an agreement? Rui Pedro Antunes is the guest.
The UGT trade union has voted against the government's latest proposal for changes to labour legislation.
After the UGT national secretariat rejected the latest version of the labour law revision proposal, the minister announced that it is not enough for the trade union centre to show openness to continue the dialogue; it “will have to show that it effectively wants an agreement”. Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho thus challenged the UGT...
With the debate surrounding the labour package at a critical point and various voices calling for an agreement between the parties after long months of negotiations, the PS claims that there was “unacceptable pressure” on union representatives during the process.
The UGT trade union federation has rejected the Government's labour reform proposal by a unanimous vote.
On the day the UGT national secretariat decides whether the trade union centre will align with an agreement on labour law reform, Carlos Silva, former secretary-general, reiterates that the conditions for such an understanding have not been met and declares that “it is time” for the negotiations to end, given that...
An extraordinary meeting of the UGT national secretariat is scheduled for 10:00 and takes place two weeks after the trade union centre led by Mário Mourão rejected the previous proposal.
The Prime Minister expresses optimism that the UGT trade union may still reach an agreement.
The UGT secretary-general met with the President of the Republic this Wednesday, the day before the trade union federation decides whether or not to align with an agreement regarding labour law reform. Upon leaving, Mário Mourão told journalists that the Head of State appealed for dialogue and negotiation, a request that was noted...
The trade union confederations CGTP and UGT held discussions regarding the government's proposed changes to labour legislation.
Pope Leo XIV leaves criticisms of the extractivist logic and defends the need to break the “chain of interests”. Furthermore, UGT is “almost certain” of the rejection of the labour package.
The secretary-general of the CGTP stated this Saturday that he hopes the UGT will not sign the agreement on changes to labour law, while the deputy secretary-general of the UGT replied that he is “almost certain” the national secretariat will reject the proposal. Despite noting that he does not want to anticipate “decisions that will be taken by collegiate bodies,” UGT deputy secretary-general Sérgio Monte stated he is “almost certain” that the “approximately 85” members of the union's national secretariat “are part of this majority of nearly 80% of Portuguese people” who reject this labour proposal. The statement was made following a question from journalist Maria Flor Pedroso during a debate organised by the Causa Pública Association regarding his “bet” on the decision of the UGT national secretariat, which meets on Thursday to decide whether or not to reach an agreement within the Social Concertation framework on the proposed changes to labour law, and was strongly applauded by the audience. Sérgio Monte was referring to an Intercampus poll indicating that 77.3% of respondents believe the proposed changes to labour law benefit companies more, and 76.6% argue that they should instead benefit workers more. Previously, when asked about the same issue, the CGTP secretary-general stressed that “the UGT will do what workers expect from a trade union, which is to reject the labour package.” In a speech during an earlier panel, sociologist and former Left Bloc MP José Soeiro criticised the “role” of the President of the Republic “in recent weeks,” considering it “negative,” and suggested that António José Seguro “is trying to avoid a confrontation with the Government” by not acknowledging that the negotiation process has taken place mostly outside the Social Concertation framework and that the latest proposed version continues to maintain “several measures of the most dubious constitutionality,” particularly regarding dismissals, waiver credits, and strikes. Recalling the convergent general strike that united the CGTP and UGT in December last year against changes to labour legislation, the professor at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto also called for “maximum unity and convergence” among unions and left-wing parties to “resist and refuse this proposal” and to “make the existing social majority count” against the document. “I strongly endorse this appeal by José Soeiro that this should indeed be a turning point so that this social majority that actually exists - which unfortunately does not exist in other matters but does in this one - is taken advantage of,” corroborated Alexandra Leitão, a jurist and former Minister of State Modernisation and Public Administration in the second António Costa government, who was moderating the panel. Labour law: New version of the draft bill delivered to social partners. “We are far from an agreement,” says UGT.
The Intersindical asserted that no process is valid without its agreement, nor outside the will and demands of the workers.
It is inaccurate to claim that the CGTP has never signed agreements within the Social Concertation framework. While the union confederation has historically signed various agreements on wages and professional training, it has consistently opposed changes to labour laws. The current government, led by Luís Montenegro, appears to have stopped treating the CGTP as a negotiation partner, excluding it from recent discussions on labour reform. This shift occurs amid a long-term decline in the CGTP's membership and influence, mirroring the electoral decline of the PCP. With fewer members and reduced political leverage, the CGTP faces a critical juncture, with upcoming May Day demonstrations likely to test its remaining capacity to mobilize workers.
The question is no longer whether there are conditions for an agreement, but rather how long the country will be willing to tolerate this theatrical negotiation.
On the eve of the Standing Committee for Social Concertation meeting, the trade union federation accuses the Government of systematically excluding it from the debate on the labour package.
The negotiation of the labour law is an example of the decline of the unions, which seem to prefer unemployment over fixed-term contracts and partisan fighting over the representation of workers.
It will be necessary for the Government to act in good faith and recognise that, in a democracy, it cannot confront and disrespect the trade union movement that represents workers. Opinion by São José Almeida.
The UGT trade union remains open to further discussions regarding labour agreements.
The National Secretariat of the UGT (Socialist-backed General Workers’ Union) has once again rejected the government’s revised proposal to amend labour legislation. In a resolution approved unanimously yesterday, the UGT’s The post Unions continue rejection of government’s labour law reform appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The trade union federation brought the latest written proposal of the labour package presented by the Government to its executive body. The document does not include concessions verbalised by the minister and employers during the last meeting.
The UGT union declares that the current conditions are insufficient to reach an agreement regarding the government's labour package.
The union leader once again appealed for the rejection of the proposed changes to labour legislation.
90 members of the union are expected at the National Secretariat meeting scheduled for this Thursday. The Secretary-General has a casting vote in the event of a tie, and the vote will only be secret if requested.
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