Public administration workers will go on strike on Friday, November 21st, against the labor package presented by the Government, with education and health being the sectors that are expected to be most affected, said a source from the Federation of independent unions.
The strike, called by the National Federation of Independent Unions of Public Administration and Entities with Public Purposes (Fesinap), which has minimum services, covers workers from all Public Administration careers, whether general or special.
The immediate withdrawal of the labor reform proposal, requesting an urgent meeting with the Government on the “Work XXI” reform, the end of union discrimination practiced by the executive and Fesinap’s effective participation in labor negotiations are the reasons for the strike.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the secretary general of Fesinap said that education, including teachers and non-teaching staff, and health, including doctors and nurses “may be the sectors most affected following the strike”.
“The strike follows the labor package presented by the Government to the unions. In our opinion, this package brings a setback of more than 20 years in labor legislation, a delay for the worker and future generations, in other words, it brings a lot of inconsistency, a lot of doubt, everything that will be bad for the job market”, said Mário Rui to the Lusa agency.
According to the general secretary of Fesinap, cWith this reform, Portuguese workers will be even more impoverished compared to their European colleagues.
“For this reason, the public administration will be on strike tomorrow [sexta-feira]. We foresee a major embarrassment in practically all sectors. In schools, courts, hospitals, Social Security services, etc. It will be a strong signal for the 11th of December, the day of the general strike, and the 12th, because Fesinap will also present a strike notice for the 12th of December”, these.
The union leader highlighted that minimum services were decreed for all public institutions.
Mário Rui also added that the strike also aims to denounce union discrimination practiced by consecutive governments.
“We represent thousands of workers who are not included in the union structures that regularly meet as a Government, I’m talking about UGT and CGTP. (…) We have been trying to talk to the Government for years, but it has always excelled in talking to the trade unions”, he said.
For the general secretary of Fesinap, this stance on the part of the Executive is “anti-democratic and incomprehensible”.
“If this position on the part of the Government continues, workers will take to the streets to demand their rights and the rights of their families. The Government must look at Fesinap in a different way, we have thousands of associated workers”, he highlighted.