The Algarve’s 16 councils unanimously have agreed with local unions to adopt a 35-hour working week and today signed a document to reduce the working week from the statutory 40 hours.
Nobre dos Santos of the Trade Union Federation of Public Administration (FESAP) commented, "For us the deal is irreversible and does not need any more discussion," adding a veiled threat that there are further actions his members can taken if the agreement is not cleared by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General's Advisory Board.
The legislation that increased working hours for Portugal’s civil servants from 35 to 40 hours came into force on September 28, 2013. With this unpopular move Pedro Passos Coelho was able to demonstrate his iron rule to the Troika but omitted to explain the huge and deliberate loophole in the legislation that has been used by most councils and trade unionists, namely if there is a current or future collective agreement for a 35-hour week then that of course is fine and the legal 40-hour week will not apply.
"The agreement we signed today for 35 hours is valid because it is approved in council meetings but this is one of 130 agreements that must be transferred to the Office of the Secretary State in order to be approved," explained Jorge Botelho, the president of the Algarve councils group AMAL.
If the opinion of the Attorney General's Advisory Board is negative, and it has 60 days to opine, Nobre dos Santos will swing into action with as yet un-named ‘other remedies, both national and international.'
The Algarve’s councils are happy for workers to work for 35 hours a week rather than 40 despite this being on the low side, in fact way below the European average, yet had no hesitation in signing this agreement that inevitably will further reduce council services.
The President of the National Union of Local and Regional Government (STAL), Braz Francisco also said the agreement signed with the councils is "irreversible."
Joining in the general desire to work less, the National Association of Professional Firefighters and the National Union of Fire Professionals also signed the collective agreement with AMAL. This means that the firefighters across the region from now on will be working 35 hours a week.
