The Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho.
The measure came at the request of the bosses and was included in the amendment proposals sent to the UGT to try to stop the general strike scheduled for the 11th.
The Government wants to abolish the rule that prevents early retirees from returning to work in the same company for three years following the date of reform. The measure, proposed by the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP), was included in the document sent by the Ministry of Labor to UGT, in an attempt to avoid the general strike called for December 11th.
The proposals to the UGT also include the replacement of three days of vacation associated with attendance, the elimination of the simplification of dismissals in medium-sized companies, the maintenance of 40 hours of annual training for all workers and changes to breastfeeding leave. But the document also includes demands from employer confederations, which include the end of restrictions on the return of early retirees.
Currently, anyone who retires before the legal age can accumulate a pension with income from work, but is prevented from carrying out paid work in the same company or business group for three years. The prohibition applies to retirements obtained by relaxing the legal age or through long careers. The Government now proposes eliminate this limitationwithout presenting formal justification in the document sent to the social partners, advances the .
The CIP argues, however, that the change will bring significant benefits. For companies, it would allow them to maintain workers with “critical skills”, essential to productivity and transmission of knowledge to new generations. To avoid abuses, the CIP suggests administrative control mechanisms that guarantee workers’ rights and the sustainability of Social Security.
In addition to this change, the Government agreed to include two more CIP proposals. The first foresees that the change of category to a lower role may proceed with tacit authorization if the Working Conditions Authority does not respond within 30 days. This measure would be an attempt to speed up processes that, according to the confederation, are currently at a standstill due to a lack of clear deadlines. The second measure makes the information obligation for teams more flexible, allowing companies to choose between posting notices in the workplace or making them available on the intranet.
The UGT considers that there are no “significant” advances in the negotiations and decided to maintain the decision to converge with the CGTP in the December 11th strike.
