Government wants to introduce continuous working hours in the private sector

The measure provides for workers to cut back on breaks, such as lunch time, and be able to leave up to an hour earlier.

The Government wants include the continuous journey in the private sector in the draft reform of the Labor Code, currently in the review phase after being presented in July.

The measure, inspired by the regime already existing in the Public Administration, allows workers shorten lunch break to half an hourmeaning you can leave up to an hour earlier.

In an interview with , the Minister of Labor, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, revealed that this will be one of the “small changes” to be introduced in the final version of the labor reform package. “It is a new feature that we are going to introduce and which allows, through a reduction in rest time, the so-called rest interval, in the middle of the day, to be half an hour, the worker leaves early”he explains.

In the Public Service, continuous working hours are a modality already provided for by law and applicable to specific situations, such as workers with children up to 12 years old, people with disabilities, student workers or adopters. This regime, however, does not constitute an automatic rightalways depending on the authorization of the service’s top manager and the justification of the employee’s request.

In the private sector, the Labor Code does not formally contemplate this possibility, although some companies have already implemented it through collective bargaining.

Divided unions and bosses

Reactions to the Government’s proposal divide unions and employers’ confederations. Speaking to , UGT considers the measure positive, but emphasizes that “it is necessary to know, for example, under what conditions it applies and if it is for everyone”.

The CGTP prefers to criticize the labor reform in general, stating that the package “assaults rights”, worsens precariousness and limits workers’ freedom. “It is important to look at the entirety of the measures and reject their meaning due to the negative effects on the lives of those who work and live in our country”, he considers.

On the business side, the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP) is open to discussing the topic, recognizing that the ongoing journey may have “advantages and disadvantages for both parties”.

The proposal will still be debated in Social Concertation, before the final approval of the reform of the Labor Code.