The national executive of the UGT trade union confederation, one of the two largest in the country, unanimously rejected the Government’s proposed amendments to labour law, following roughly 200 hours of negotiations spread over nine months. Mário Mourão, the union’s leader, said it was now up to the Labour Minister to decide how to proceed.
“The UGT expects the Government to clarify whether it wishes to continue making an effort to reach an agreement or whether it intends to bring the discussion to a close. That decision now lies with the Minister of Labour,” Mourão said, adding that the union remains “available and open” should the Government present new proposals capable of narrowing the gap between the two parties.
Explaining the union’s red lines, which led to the rejection of the proposal, Mourão pointed to disputes over outsourcing rules, the working-time bank system, continuous working hours, so-called waiver clauses, and the non-reinstatement of workers dismissed unlawfully. He declined to elaborate further, insisting that “everyone is already aware of the UGT’s position” on these issues.
Nine months of negotiations proved insufficient to persuade the UGT to endorse the Government’s labour reform package. The union’s national executive met on Thursday, 23rd April, to formalise its decision.
Speaking a day earlier after meeting the President of the Republic, Mourão had warned that he was “not yet comfortable” with the latest version of the Government’s proposal.
“That is why the UGT remains available and open if the Government brings forward any proposal that could still improve the text. I have indications that the Government remains willing to seek further compromise,” he said, noting that his information about potential concessions by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s administration came primarily through media reports.
Meanwhile, during a parliamentary hearing held on Wednesday, 22nd April, Labour Minister Rosário Palma Ramalho argued that the agreement was “pending solely the UGT’s decision”. She stressed that reaching an accord was essential if Portugal was to converge with European standards in economic competitiveness and business productivity.
Following a meeting with President António José Seguro, employers’ confederations also underscored the importance of securing an agreement, whilst reminding all parties that final legislative authority rests with Parliament. Employer representatives further urged the UGT to specify which provisions of the Government’s proposal continue to block union approval after nearly 200 hours of talks.
After his own meeting with the President, CGTP secretary-general Tiago Oliveira, head of Portugal’s other largest trade union confederation, recalled that President Seguro had stated during the election campaign that the labour package should be rejected if it failed to secure backing from the side of the unions.
In a statement published on the Presidency’s official website, the President said the consultations aimed to obtain “a detailed understanding of each social partner’s position regarding the possible amendment of labour legislation”, a process ongoing for nine months and one in which the President had consistently encouraged constructive dialogue placing the country’s interests first.
Miguel Cabrita, a Socialist Party MP, criticised the Government following the UGT’s rejection of the labour package and amid speculation that negotiations with social partners could now be terminated. “We cannot expect the Government to show greater flexibility in Parliament than it demonstrated over nine months of negotiations,” he said.
“It is no longer possible to continue simulating negotiations,” Cabrita added, accusing the Government of presenting a proposal that had failed to evolve in its fundamental structure.
Arguing that the draft legislation had not met the demands of social partners, the Socialist MP spoke of “unacceptable and illegitimate pressure, accompanied by disinformation campaigns” throughout the negotiation process. “We have reached limits we never expected to see in an institutional concertation process,” he said, adding that “those who negotiate in good faith do not treat their partners in this manner”.
Nevertheless, Cabrita confirmed that if the bill proceeds to Parliament, the Socialist Party will table its own amendments.
Source: LUSA
Photo Credit: Paulo Spranger
