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Public sector strike
• 05 Dec 2007 •
 A ONE-day strike to demand better salary increases by Portugal's public employees on Friday brought about the cancellation of school classes, medical appointments and court hearings. Some public services operated with fewer staff and others shut down entirely. Throughout the country, nearly 1,300 schools were closed. In the Algarve, the Silves and Vila Real de Santo António Courts were also closed. Elsewhere, Courts in Lisbon, Porto, Gondomar, Vila do Conde, Famalicão, Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda, Oeiras, Almada, Caldas da Rainha, Abrantes, Montemor-o-Novo were closed. The union of nurses reported 70 per cent support. The action was called by the two major unions - UGT and CGTP - against the Government's unwillingness to negotiate pay rises. Carvalho da Silva, leader of CGTP, said he believes the strike will help to “enlighten” the Government regarding a fairer salary policy. “There is no doubt this is a big strike action and it shows a growing number of people identify with the causes of the action,” he said.
Workers Unions estimated that nearly 80 per cent of the country's 700,000 public workers joined the strike, the second in the public sector this year, while the government said only 20 per cent failed to turn up at work. Unions representing Portugal's 500,000 civil servants are contesting the government's 2008 public sector pay hike of 2.1 percent and are demanding between 3.5 and 5.8 percent. The current inflation rate stands at three percent and the government says it has to contain spending to reduce the state budget deficit, currently at three percent of gross domestic product. The 13 nations using the euro, including Portugal, aim to erase their budget deficits by 2010. |  Return to Top
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