Several public services, from transport to education and health, are affected by the general strike this Thursday, December 11th, called by the CGTP and UGT against the draft law presented by the Government on the reform of labor legislation.
This is the first general strike to bring together the two unions since 2013, when Portugal was under intervention by the troika, and is causing constraints in several sectors, such as education, with several schools closed, and transport, with trains suspended and flights cancelled.
In the early hours of this morning, Valter Lobos, from the CGTP executive committee, made an initial assessment by referring to a “massive adherence” to the strike.
“The data we have so far confirm that the night shift, whether in the public or private sector, confirms the justice of the workers’ demands, because there is a strong support, a massive support”, said the head of the union center, at 8:40 am, speaking to SIC Notícias.
He spoke of an “overwhelming” overnight stoppage in the solid and urban waste collection sector at night, from the north to the south of the country, including the autonomous regions.
There is “strong support” in the health sector, from all workers, including assistants, technicians, nurses and doctors. Also in the private sector, he continued, there is strong support for the strike.