Social partners set out agendas

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The 25th anniversary of the fall of the old regime on 25 April 1974 and the 1999 May Day celebrations provided the Portuguese social partners with an opportunity to evaluate their organisations, strategies and agendas.

25 April 1999 marked the 25th anniversary of the revolution which brought to an end the old corporatist regime and ushered in democracy in Portugal. The anniversary, along with the May Day trade union celebrations soon afterwards, provided an opportunity for the Portuguese social partners to reflect on their organisations, strategies and agendas.

CIP celebrates 25th anniversary

The central organisation representing industrial employers, the Confederation of Portuguese Industry (Confederação da Industria Portuguesa, CIP) celebrated 25 years of existence at the beginning of May with a dinner that was attended by representatives of the main trade union confederations - the General Workers' Union (União Geral de Trabalhadores, UGT) and General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP) - and of political parties. CIP president Ferraz da Costa presented an overview of the difficulties that the organisation encountered immediately after its creation in 1974 in what was, at that time, an unfavourable socio-political climate. He also spoke about privatisations and the euro single currency. CIP is holding seminars in June 1999 on the future and the most important issues on the organisation's agenda.

At the May event, employers' leaders like Rocha de Matos of the Portuguese Industrial Association (Associação Industrial Portuguesa, AIP), made an appeal for reorganising the employers' associations and working out common strategies among the various confederations.

Trade union May Day celebrations

Since 1974, May Day has been celebrated with public demonstrations organised by the trade union confederations, which take advantage of the event to inform the public about their activities. In 1999, they also took the opportunity to look back over 25 years of trade unionism in Portugal.

The possibility that the two main confederations - UGT and CGTP - may, in the near future, engage in "unity of action" without relinquishing their individual identities was the object of speculation on the part of the press. Trade unionists who made public declarations on this matter did not reject the idea. The rationale given was pressure from economic globalisation and the internationalisation of companies.

In 1999, as in previous years, the May Day celebrations of the two confederations took place in different locales. Although both confederations addressed a very complete range of issues, they maintain their differences. There was, however, some common ground. Both called for a reduction in the working week to 35 hours and for intervention in the taxation, health and educational systems.

CGTP continues to reject the content of some of the package of labour law proposals currently under discussion (PT9903134N) and the restructuring of the social security system, which is believed to be on the road to insolvency. It believes that that many concessions have already been made to the interests of capital in the course of privatisations. The government has also made concessions to employers in recent proposals to alter legislation, states CGTP, and only a bill on sanctions for breaches of labour legislation (PT9802168N) and a draft Code of Labour Procedure currently under debate show any positive aspects. Meanwhile, problems relating to the implementation of the 40-hour working week - which 1996 legislation provided should be in force by late 1997 (PT9712154F) - have yet to be resolved in some sectors. CGTP also states that:

• although collective bargaining should be closer to the workers, in reality companies are increasing closed off to unions;

• there should be complete trade union representation in social dialogue on broad issues, with both main confederations involved; and

• pay increases and issues relating to improved health and safety conditions in the workplace are still on the agenda.

For UGT, important concerns are to improve pay and search for solutions to combat the increasing trend towards precarious forms of employment. Special attention should also be given to new forms of work organisation, vocational training, and social security as ways of responding to changes in the labour market.

Although the government has tried to pass laws that would be favourable to workers, attempts to put these into effect have been met with resistance on the part of employers, says UGT. The confederation continues to stress the importance of worker participation in company life, in defining economic and social policies, and in dialogue as a way of "constructing Europe". Intervention and negotiation at the European level is highlighted, though not in detail, possibly due to the fact that the entire collective bargaining structure is still awaiting debate in Portugal.

The unionisation rate in Portugal is the highest in southern Europe and both union confederations point to recent increases in union membership in the textile and chemicals industries and in multinationals, at a time when restructuring has taken place in these sectors. In order to respond to changes in the labour market, the two union confederations are also looking at internal structural reorganisation (PT9903136N) as a way to foster more unity of action.

Commentary

The elections for the European Parliament in June 1999 and, to an even greater extent, elections for the Portuguese Parliament in October have been causing political activity to slow down in the area of social and employment legislation. This has repercussions on trade union activity. Significant changes, such as renewal of the collective bargaining structure, have still not taken place, making it likely that some laws that are still under debate will be held over for the next legislature. Although the unions are looking at the introduction of a European level of collective bargaining, this is not a substantial part of the agenda. (Maria Luisa Cristovam, UAL)