CGTP: with new law, production of French fries is essential

The CGTP said in parliament this Wednesday that the minimum services that the Government wants to be implemented during strikes, as part of the labor reform, mean that activities such as the production of French fries are considered essential social needs.

At a hearing at the Labor Commission, trade union leader Filipe Marques stated that the change proposed by the Government for the minimum services to be defined in the event of a strike expands the activities considered “imperative social needs” to such an extent that even the production of Matutano potatoes is now considered essential.

"The change now proposed by the Government states that in activities considered essential social needs — expanding the list of socially essential activities to include food supply (as if Matutano's French fries production were essential), childcare services, care for the elderly, the sick and disabled, and private security services for essential goods or equipment — there will always be the provision of minimum services regardless of public need," said the union leader before the parliamentary committee members.

For Filipe Marques, what happens in the Government's proposal is "basically extending to everything" , to all activities, the minimum services in the event of a strike.

The union leader considered that even today, even without this labor review, strikes sometimes determine “minimum services that in practice are maximum, sometimes indicating more workers than those scheduled to work on a normal working day.”

He stated that, for example, during public sector strikes , gravediggers have been required to have a minimum of five gravediggers in cemeteries where there are only three of these professionals. He also added that in education, there are cases where more workers are required on strike days than on normal working days.

“This project extends this anarchy in the definition of minimum services because everything becomes essential,” he stressed.

For the CGTP, this legislative package aims to "further unbalance the balance of power between labor and capital and subvert the right to strike" and considered that the recent demonstration that the labor/capital relationship is already unbalanced is Altice, which, with 2.775 billion euros in profit in 2024, presented a proposal for a 0% salary increase this year.

“It would be good if there was balance…”, he said.

Chega, led by Paulo Sêco, stated that the party is in favor of the right to strike, but that it also “ensures the continuity of essential services” and that “fundamental rights” are balanced, and therefore considered that this hearing is necessary to ensure “clarity and serious and informed parliamentary scrutiny.”

For the PSD, Joaquim Barbosa said that his party "has always been in favor of the right to strike and its history proves it" and that what the Government intends is to "balance the right to strike with imperative social needs."

CDS-PP deputy Paulo Núncio stated that “what would be new today would be the CGTP agreeing to discuss” these issues.

Both the PSD and CDS-PP, which support the Government, argued that now is not the time for parliament but for social dialogue.

Socialist congresswoman Dália Miranda said that minimum services are already enshrined in law, “safeguarding essential needs.”

For Livre, by Jorge Pinto, these measures seem more like “revenge” by the Government after the strike by CP workers in May, during the election campaign.

For PCP MP Alfredo Maia, striking is a right that "cannot be alienated in the way that the right and far right intend" and he considered that "there are no soft strikes", as they all harm workers and, firstly, those who carry them out and who lose wages.

The CGTP is being heard in parliament this Wednesday at the request of the Chega parliamentary group.

Also this Wednesday, the Government's preliminary draft for the revision of labor legislation will begin to be discussed with the social partners in the first social consultation meeting, scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.

The changes envisaged in the executive's proposal range from the area of ​​parenthood (with changes to parental leave, breastfeeding and gestational bereavement ) to flexible working, training in companies or trial periods for employment contracts, also providing for an expansion of the sectors that will be covered by minimum services in the event of a strike.

Business confederations have been applauding the proposal, although they note that there is room for improvement.

In turn, trade unions have been highly critical of the Government's draft bill, considering it an attack on workers' rights and a civilizational setback.