Miguel A. Lopes / Lusa
The Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho
The bosses defend a value defined by law, in the same way as unpaid absences. However, unions believe that the measure will decrease the business power of workers and aggravate inequalities.
The Portugal Business Confederation (CIP) argues that the amount to pay for workers who want to acquire additional vacation days should be previously established by lawpreventing its fixation from being subject to negotiation between employee and employer. The proposal arises in response to the measure provided for in the government program, which allows workers to acquire extra vacation days, by agreement with the employer.
Armindo Monteiro, president of CIP, considers that salary compensation for each acquired day should follow the legal model Used for unpaid absences. Applying this formula to a monthly gross salary of 1000 euros, with a weekly workload of 40 hours, the cut per day would be 46.15 euros. “We want to take the possibility of negotiation of the value, in order to prevent arbitrariness to both the worker or from the employer,” he explains, quoted by.
João Vieira Lopes, from the Confederation of Commerce and Services (CCP), shares a similar view, equating this new possibility to a license without maturityand argues that the same legal framework applies. However, it stresses that the discussion is still open.
On the union side, the measure is seen with suspicion. CGTP and UGT consider that the “holiday purchase” favors those who earn higher wagescan deepen inequalities. Unions still for the risk of this initiative weakening the role of collective bargaining, as companies can no longer propose additional vacation days if they can be “sold” individually.
“In periods of lower production or orders, companies can press workers to buy their vacation days: that is, they can make a lay-off to the workers account”, Also warns Sérgio Monte, head of UGT.
Milena Sobxinol, Professor of Labor Law at Catholic University, is also favorable to the legal setting of the amount payable for each additional day. “It seems to me the law preferable to quantify this value to pay each day to leave this quantification to the freedom of the parties. Because the worker is tendentially more vulnerable, ”he argues.
The proposal arises in a context in which work legislation already allows more than the 22 minimum business days of vacation, through collective agreements. However, the government has not yet clarified the contours of the new measure, referring the discussion for social concertation.
