Latest news and stories about general strike in work in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
A nationwide general strike in Portugal protesting proposed labour reforms has caused widespread disruption, leading to the cancellation of over 340 flights, the suspension of train services, and the closure of schools.
Lisbon firefighters' union says the Regimento de Sapadores Bombeiros de Lisboa (RSBL) is in 'utter disarray', citing delays in promotions, organisational failures and that more than 10% of operational personnel lack proper uniforms. Staff are considering issuing a pre-strike notice as a warning that industrial action could follow if complaints over safety, logistics and career progression are not resolved. The union warns these problems undermine emergency response and public safety and is calling for urgent management and municipal intervention.
Tiago Oliveira stressed that no member of the union was involved in clashes, noting that there are groups that join CGTP demonstrations to incite problematic situations.
The Secretary-General of the Communist Party anticipates a “high turnout” of workers for the General Strike. Additionally, André Ventura says that retirement at 65 would cost the State 1.8 billion euros.
As reported by PÚBLICO Brasil, the General Strike scheduled for next Wednesday (03/06) is causing disruption for those travelling from Brazil to Portugal, and vice versa.
The CGTP has fired the starting gun for the second general strike in half a year, with the entire left wing taking to the streets to ask the Government to decree the end of the labour package's short life. The President of the Republic joined the chorus, writing a note defending the 'fight for rights', against 'precariousness' and for a 'dignified life' for those who work.
The party coordinator considered that the labour package is on the verge of being defeated.
FESINAP workers have been on a 24-hour strike since midnight. Additionally, the PSD/Lisbon branch refuses to compare controversies involving the City Council's secretary-general and Mafalda Livermore.
The National Council of this teachers' union structure has been meeting in Lisbon for the last two days. Fenprof accuses the Government of crossing “red lines” and threatens to “move to another level of struggle”.
The National Council of the CGTP announced this Wednesday the calling of a “large national demonstration” for April 17 in Lisbon.
Auxiliary health technicians at Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon have suspended the strike scheduled for Thursday after the board of directors committed to 'immediately resolving the problems', the union indicated this Wednesday. In a statement, the Union of Workers in Public Functions of the South and Autonomous Regions noted that...
The webpage provides a variety of recent news updates related to Portugal. Key highlights include the CGTP labor union calling for a national demonstration in Lisbon on April 17, reflecting ongoing social and economic activism. Portugal's celebrations for Dia de Portugal are taking place in the Azores and Luxembourg. Additionally, there are reports on political debates, economic issues such as pension reforms, and local incidents like a major real estate fraud involving multiple arrests. The site also covers sports achievements, notably Braga's victory in the Europa League quarter-finals, and other national events and controversies. Overall, the page offers a broad overview of current political, economic, social, and sporting news relevant to Portugal.
The webpage highlights Portugal's celebrations of the Day of Portugal, with commemorations taking place in the Azores, specifically in Terceira, and in Luxembourg. It also reports on political and economic news, including a nationwide protest called by CGTP scheduled for April 17 in Lisbon, and discussions on taxes and military bases. Additionally, there are updates on Portugal's sports achievements, such as Sporting Braga's victory in the Europa League and FC Porto's upcoming matches. The page covers various other topics, including regional issues like the alleged favoritism towards Ryanair by the Azores government and a significant fraud involving luxury properties. Overall, the content provides a broad overview of current events and celebrations related to Portugal.
Medical staff, nurses, and administrative workers at the Lisboa Ocidental Local Health Unit (ULSLO) are threatening industrial action following the disappearance of thousands of overtime hours from the computer system. Unions representing the staff have scheduled a meeting with the administration for the 19th to address long-standing issues, including unpaid overtime, career progression delays, and failures in performance evaluation systems. If negotiations fail, workers have approved a motion to proceed with a strike. Meanwhile, the Health Inspectorate is investigating the unit's Human Resources department regarding the legality of recent hiring practices.
The secretary-general of the CGTP trade union federation accused the Government of a “democratic attack” for excluding the union from discussions on labour law reforms. Tiago Oliveira stated the process is “riddled with disrespect” and vowed that the struggle will continue. While dozens of protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Labour, the Government indicated it would be available for a separate meeting with the CGTP later. The union leader also announced plans to request an urgent meeting with the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, and noted that the union's National Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss further forms of protest.
The demonstration called by the Frente Comum gathered around 500 people in Lisbon this Friday.
Some schools were closed due to the strike. The union reports that APDJ is going through a “difficult situation” and is hiring workers without informing them of the association's financial status.
The Lusa agency has stopped. There were four hours of protest in front of the Government headquarters.
Workers at the Portuguese news agency Lusa are striking from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to protest against recent restructuring and a new governance model approved by the government. The unions criticize the process as lacking transparency and argue that the new statutes threaten journalistic independence, potentially conflicting with the Portuguese Constitution and European media regulations. Concerns include plans for layoffs without clear strategies for strengthening teams and doubts about the independence of the agency if its headquarters move to the RTP building. The strike follows weeks of internal protests, including resolutions and demonstrations, with unions emphasizing the importance of maintaining editorial independence amid these changes. The government defends the reforms.
The Minister of Labour will meet on Monday, 23rd, with UGT and four employer confederations to discuss changes to the labour law, in a meeting without the participation of CGTP. The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 AM at the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS) in Lisbon. This gathering aims to assess the technical meetings that have taken place between the government, employer confederations, and UGT regarding the labour law changes being discussed in the Social Concertation framework, where CGTP is also represented. Last week, the Minister had called UGT and employer confederations for a meeting, but it was held without union representatives as CGTP was not invited and UGT announced it would not participate, deeming the meeting 'untimely'. An official source from the ministry indicated that 'UGT was invited and did not show availability at any time this week', but the government remains open to discussions with the union. In UGT's absence, employer confederations expressed their 'interest' in reaching an agreement on the labour law, stating that without the union's presence, 'in practice, there was no meeting' and they are willing to negotiate with the union starting this week. This was noted by Francisco Calheiros, president of the Tourism Confederation of Portugal (CTP), who spoke on behalf of the other three employer confederations. When asked about CGTP's absence, Calheiros declined to comment. The Secretary-General of CGTP accused the government of trying to exclude the inter-union from discussions on labour law changes and using methods of discussion 'completely outside' the usual negotiation processes. The draft reform, called 'Trabalho XXI', was presented by the government of Luís Montenegro (PSD and CDS-PP) on July 24, 2025, and the Minister has indicated the intention to submit the bill to parliament, although no date has been committed to. The changes proposed by the government in July were rejected by the unions, who view the changes as an attack on workers' rights. The opposition led CGTP and UGT to jointly call for a general strike on December 11, 2025. Employer confederations welcomed the reform but stated there is room for improvement. In response to criticisms from CGTP and UGT, the government presented a new proposal to UGT with some concessions but reiterated that it is not willing to withdraw the entire initiative or abandon the core elements of the announced changes. UGT submitted a counterproposal to the government on February 4 and indicated it has red lines on issues such as fixed-term contracts and outsourcing, which it considers 'unacceptable'.
The Trade Union Association of Police Professionals (ASPP/PSP) will hold a protest assembly at Lisbon Airport over Easter, announced the organisation's president, who hopes the action will have more impact than the one held today.
The assembly will take place between 07:00 and 11:00 at the Control and Border Police Station, followed by a gathering outside the airport.
Since the draft bill was presented on 24 July, the CGTP has held several protest actions to demand the withdrawal of the proposal.
At the end of the demonstration in Lisbon, a CGTP delegation will go to São Bento to deliver a petition demanding the withdrawal of the draft bill to revise labour legislation.
The CGTP has called a demonstration in Lisbon for this afternoon against the labour package. Presidential candidates Catarina Martins and António Filipe will be present, as will José Manuel Pureza, leader of the Left Bloc.
Presidential candidate Catarina Martins is taking part in the demonstration against the labour reform this afternoon in Lisbon.
Under the slogan “demand the withdrawal of the labour package”, the demonstration set off at 14:55 from Luís de Camões Square and finishes at the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon.
Trade union centre mobilises thousands in a new action against the government's labour reform
CGTP, Portugal’s trades union confederation, is limbering up for a major demonstration against the government’s labour reform in Lisbon tomorrow. The focus is on forcing the executive of Luís Montenegro The post Trades union movement expects “large demonstration in Lisbon tomorrow” appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The protest will take place on the eve of CGTP being received by the Prime Minister at São Bento, in a meeting requested by the trade union central which the Minister of Labour is also expected to attend.
