There is a lot of “hard rock” to overcome between the Government and UGT – which has more time to analyze proposals

The meeting revealed “greater openness” on the part of the Government, but the strike notice will actually be delivered this Thursday.

Government and General Union of Workers (UGT) gathered this Thursday, around the Government’s proposal for .

The Minister of Labor said she will give UGT more time to analyze the new proposal, while the central secretary-general applauded the executive’s “greater openness”.

“A UGT asked for more time to analyze the draft [de reforma à legislação laboral] and to analyze the proposed changes to what we had advanced at the last meeting”, stated the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, in statements to journalists, after the bilateral meeting with UGT.

And given “the importance of this dossier” and the fact that this union center is “a very strong partner”, the executive “will grant UGT sufficient time to carry out this analysis”, added the government official.

“We have no reason to refuse, despite the climate being one of approaching strike [geral]. Therefore, we will give UGT the time it asked for and then we will start again”, indicated Rosário Palma Ramalho, refusing, however, to give a specific deadline.

After the announcement of the general strike, the Ministry of Labor delivered a new proposal to UGT, with some changes to the preliminary project presented in July, but which the trade union central said was “very little” to call off the strike.

Asked whether it would be possible to reach an understanding with UGT, the Minister of Labor did not commit, but reiterated her openness to dialogue.

“The negotiations have their time and the future will tell whether it will be possible to reach an agreement. What I can tell you is that the Government will naturally do everything” to reach an agreement in the Social Concertation, said the minister, highlighting the “dialogue stance” despite the “environment that can be seen as almost a breakdown in negotiations”.

Despite having already mentioned that the Government would like to maintain “the main pillars” of the draft, Palma Ramalho assured that the executive “has no immobility in this process”, preferring, however, not to reveal the matters in which she is willing to change, namely when asked about the return to the individual time bank or the repeal of the rule that provides for restrictions on ‘outsourcing’ in the event of dismissal.

The general secretary of UGT, Mário Mourão, admitted the Government’s greater openness to negotiate, but that of December 11th remains.

“We found greater opening, regardless of the processes that are taking place, the strike begins immediately and we will give advance notice here tomorrow”, he commented to journalists.

The UGT leader said that several measures were discussed, but did not indicate whether the Government backed down on any further points.

“We were advancing some points that for UGT are breaking and the Government also put its own. We all want to keep working. If we work, we might get closer and find a solution here.”

However, as there are “very sensitive” topics in these negotiations, Mário Mourão warned: “There is a lot of stone to break. And hard stone”.