Historian Raquel Varela
The new newspaper Maio, which considers itself “socialist” and against changes to labor legislation, has the financial support of five unions and is looking for more contributions and volunteers, revealed Raquel Varela, member of the editorial committee.
Leaving RTP, where she hinted that she had been dismissed by , the historian Raquel Varela now launches the online newspaper.
The newspaper launched this Thursday, whose domain was registered on May 30th this year, will be financed by readers, by the dues of the future association and by quotas from independent unions.
It is, as stated in a statement by Raquel Varela, professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, “something unprecedented in Portugal since the 1990s”.
At the moment, he added, the publication is financed by the Independent Union of All United Nurses of the Continent and Islands (SITEU), STASA – Automobile Workers Union, SNTSF – Railway Maintenance Workers Union, STOP and Simmper – Independent Union of Hazardous Materials Drivers.
Maio positions itself as a “socialist” newspaper and the editorial committee, which operates on a voluntary basis, includes (in addition to Raquel Varela) António Simões do Paço, Afonso Maia Silva, Adriano Zilhão and Gorete Pimentel.
“Work in Maio is now voluntary. If you want to be a supporter, subscribe to the newsletter. If you are interested in becoming ordinary members, slightly more generous members or simply providing technical help, please send an email to ”, appealed Raquel Varela.
“If you don’t want to organize with Maio, organize yourself somewhere else. But get organized! At work or in the neighborhoodaround a work reflection group, with a bulletin or a homemade newspaper: get together, create friendships, participate in your union’s assemblies (and criticize it, if necessary), but take part, take part“, he added.
Maio will publish weekly reports, long articles, chronicles and interviews, and is also putting together the videocast Tempo contra o Tempo, dedicated to the analysis of the national and international political situation and labor issues.
The chroniclers team includes António Garcia Pereira, Mário Tomé, Rui Pereira, Father José Luís Rodrigues, Cristina Semblano, Joel Neto, Miguel Real, Manuel da Silva Ramos, António Carlos Cortezbetween others.
The newspaper will also count on the collaboration of the author of comic strip João Mascarenhas.
The editorial project was developed over the last two years with trade unionists, journalists, activists, among others, “to defend culture, education and free thought”, says the academic.
Newspaper had to be launched “urgently”
The association that owns the publication is still in the legalization process and the newspaper will be registered with the Regulatory Entity for Social Communication (ERC), with the launch was brought forward in view of the changes to the labor law contemplated by the Government.
“Bringing it to life gained particular urgency when the AD Government, supported by the Liberal Initiative and Chega, presented a project of amendments to the labor law that threatens the most basic rights of workersincluding the right to strike”, says Raquel Varela.
“We are facing a labor counter-reform that seeks to suppress essential rights to life and work. We need organization, the participation of thousands in public life, as happened after April 25, 1974. Fascism is not defeated only, or even mainly, at the polls. You can defeat it with organization”, he added.
According to the publication’s presentation text, “the order of the day is information and organization independent of those who work, the fight against wars and the destruction of rights that capitalism carries in its belly“.
