On a strike day, the minister warns: the increase in public servants must end

Miranda Sarmento thinks that continuing to increase the number of public employees would be a “mistake and waste of Portuguese money”.

The Minister of State and Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, said this Friday that the number of workers in the Public Administration cannot continue to be increased, arguing that this would be a “error and waste of Portuguese money”.

“We cannot continue to increase the number of workersif we continue to increase workers in Public Administration we will not have better services“, considered the minister, at the hearing in parliament within the scope of the State Budget proposal for 2026.

Miranda Sarmento pointed out that the employees increased by 100 thousand and public services did not get betterso “insisting on this formula is a mistake and a waste of Portuguese money”.

The minister was also questioned by the PCP about the increases for public employees, but the minister reiterated that these increases are not a proposal, but an agreement.

“We do not propose these increases, in November last year we reached an agreement with two of the three structures for salary increases between 2025 and 2028”, thus there is an “agreement that is in force” and which the Government “is complying with”.

The minister also recalled the “valorization of 19 careers which represent half of the Public Administration”, pointing out that the careers of workers such as police officers, teachers, doctors and nurses have already been reviewed.

This issue of the PCP arises in the Common Front, which is having a large support, with consequences in hospitals, schools, courts or garbage collection.

The Public Administration strike is registering a “huge support”, of 90% in health and education, but also in the Justice and Tax Authority, reflecting the “widespread feeling” of workers to “advance to the fight”, according to the CGTP.