In the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, on Saturday, November 8, hundreds of thousands of people protested against new labor legislation, which, according to trade unions, will undermine workers' rights, and demanded higher wages. This is reported by Reuters, transmitted by UNN.
Details
Tens of thousands of people protested in Lisbon on Saturday against the center-right government's plan to revise labor legislation, which unions believe will undermine workers' rights, and to demand higher wages.
Portugal's largest trade union, CGTP, which initiated the protest, accused the government of favoring big business while low-wage workers struggle with the rising cost of living. The union reported that about 100,000 demonstrators occupied the capital's main avenue. There is no police estimate of the crowd size.
In September, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government approved a bill to amend the labor code, stating that its goal was to increase competitiveness.
Under the planned changes, it will be easier for employers to dismiss employees for just cause, as they will no longer need to provide evidence at the employee's request or hear their witnesses.
Restrictions on outsourcing will be relaxed, and companies will be allowed to create "individual time banks" that will allow employees to work up to two additional hours per day, but no more than 150 hours per year.
Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, and official data show that more than 50% of workers earned less than 1,000 euros per month last year.
The minimum wage is only 870 euros, one of the lowest in the EU.
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