António Cotrim / Lusa
The former general secretary of CGTP, Manuel Carvalho da Silva
Analysis by Carvalho da Silva. Minister has another version: there are several workers’ rights that are “reinforced” in this reform.
The Government’s proposal is just a proposal for now. But the – draft law in the form of labor legislation – continues to make people talk.
The former secretary general of CGTP, Manuel Carvalho da Silvasee similarities with the troika, repeating the speech of Paulo Raimundo, general secretary of the PCP.
And he doesn’t hesitate: “This labor legislation is the toughest demonstration for generations of Portuguese in the last 50 years. It is a legislative offensive focused exclusively on an ideological option. There were no complaints significant” of bosses, claims, in .
For the former trade unionist, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is “doing the Government a favor”, with “a theory at an inopportune moment” because negotiations are still taking place on the Government’s proposal.
But Carvalho da Silva explains: “Strikes often take place in the middle of negotiation processes. Exactly to rebalance positions and allow the next day to be more positive than the previous one”.
Government will not remove everything
“The union confederations do not vocalize this part, but in fact there is a set of workers’ rights that are reinforced in this reform”, stated the Minister of Labor.
Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho considered that the announcement of the general strike by UGT “is extemporaneous” given that the labor review draft is being discussed, but he warned that the “Government is not available to withdraw the entire proposal.”
There may be some room for negotiation, but the Government intends “maintain the guidelines”.
In an interview with , the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security rejected accusations that the dialogue in the context of Social Concertation is “a façade”, stressing that “all standards” foreseen in the draft labor review presented by the Government “are standards under construction, under improvement, and are being constructed and improved with all partners”social.
The minister thinks there was a “epidermal” reaction after the announcement of the reform. “Work matters are always matters of great passion”, he commented.
Rosário Palma Ramalho left, however, criticism of the CGTP, stating that this trade union center “has placed itself since the beginning apart from any negotiation“, a position that, according to the minister, contrasts with the UGT.
“UGT for now, I say again, must differentiate itself from CGTP: because CGTP from the first moment said it did not want to negotiate. On the contrary, UGT is sitting at the table with us”, he stated.
The minister therefore considers that “not on the part of CGTP”, but on the part of UGT, the announcement of the general strike is “untimely”.
