This Wednesday, December 17, the Government approved the increase in the national minimum wage by 50 euros in 2026, from 870 to 920 euros (gross), announced the Minister of the Presidency after the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
At a press conference at Palácio da Vila, in Sintra, António Leitão Amaro said that this is a “significant increase” and that in a year and a half, with PSD/CDS-PP governments, the minimum wage increases by 100 euros.
“In a year and a half, with Luís Montenegro as prime minister, the minimum wage rose by 100 euros. It is part of a policy to increase the income of the Portuguese sustained by a unique moment in the national economy”, said the official.
The income agreement that the previous government of Luís Montenegro (PSD/CDS-PP) signed with the UGT and the employer centrals in October 2024 provides for the minimum wage to rise at a rate of 50 euros in each year until 2028.
The predicted values are 920 euros in 2026, rising to 970 euros in 2027 and 1,020 euros in 2028.
Leitão Amaro recalled the agreement, stating that with the approval of the increase in the minimum wage, the Government is “scrupulously complying” with this agreement.
And he added that this agreement includes other commitments, such as changes to labor laws.
“[Esse acordo] has several other commitments and all these commitments are mutual conditions. And among these other commitments, we must not forget, there is the reform of labor legislation that this tripartite agreement provided for”, he said.
Leitão Amaro addressed the UGT directly, recalling that it signed this tripartite agreement and that it must now work in dialogue with the Government to implement it.
“I believe that the UGT will understand and understand and want to participate in the implementation of a tripartite agreement which includes the national minimum wage and also other dimensions, including incentives for wage growth, areas of IRC and IRC and also reform of labor law. It is good that there is a spirit of construction, of dialogue, this Government has already proven that it is a Government of dialogue with results”, said the government official.
Regarding CGTP having asked the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, for a meeting, Leitão Amaro said that at the meeting it will be seen whether the trade union center will remain “always against” or will want to “be part of the solutions and construction of compromises”.
The Government presented a draft labor reform (“Work XXI”), with more than 100 changes to the Labor Code, which according to unions promotes more precariousness, facilitates dismissals, deregulates working hours and attacks collective bargaining and the right to strike.
In reaction, the CGTP and UGT called a general strike last week (December 11), affecting sectors such as transport, schools, hospitals and health centers, among other private companies such as Autoeuropa.
Both UGT and CGTP stated that the strike had massive participation – CGTP claims that three million workers participated – unlike the Government, which, in the voice of the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, considered the level of participation “insignificant, particularly in the private and social sector”.
This Tuesday, UGT met with the Minister of Labor about labor reform, in Lisbon. At the end of the meeting with Rosário Palma Ramalho, the general secretary of UGT, Mário Mourão, said that he saw a negotiating spirit on the executive’s side and that the work will continue over the next month.