CGTP holds day of action to highlight job insecurity and low pay

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On 24 March 2001, Portugal's CGTP trade union confederation called a national day of action to highlight increasing job insecurity and delays in fulfilling expectations of convergence with wage levels elsewhere in the EU. For its part, the UGT confederation has published a report analysing current socio-economic problems.

The living and working conditions of Portuguese workers have become increasingly important issues for trade unions in recent times. In early 2001, the publication of various labour market statistics for 2000 and the difficulties encountered in achieving the desired wage increases in negotiations have led the union confederations to step up their actions in this area.

The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP) highlighted its claims with a national action day involving its regional and sectoral organisations on 24 March, following a week of activities in various sectors. The action day took the form of two demonstrations, one in Lisbon involving workers from the centre and south of Portugal, and the other in Oporto involving workers from the north. The aim of the action day, and also the slogan of CGTP's most recent congress in December 1999, was "Giving greater value to work. More dignity for workers" (Valorizar o trabalho. Dignificar os trabalhadores) (PT9912173N). The action sought to respond in particular to two issues:

• figures indicate that there was a 10% rise in job insecurity in the course of 2000, resulting from more fixed-term contracts, self-employment, part-time work and clandestine work. A recent study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, is said to show that Portugal is the EU Member State with the least secure employment; and

• a recent statement by the governor of the Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal) in reference to the country's good economic figures for 2000, plus the EU's recommendations for wage moderation.

According to CGTP, the combination of increasing job insecurity, economic growth and pay moderation has led to increased social inequality - with, for example, unbridled profit growth in some sectors, high levels of tax avoidance and high salaries for managers in the state sector.

For some time, CGTP has been emphasising that the current Portuguese development model, said to be based on low wages, poor qualifications and insecure jobs, cannot continue (PT0009113F). It is calling for measures to be taken in the following areas:

• real convergence between Portuguese wages and the EU average - CGTP has made comparisons between Portugal's minimum wage and that in some other Member States;

• job enhancement;

• greater fairness in tax matters (the fact that business pays low taxes is said to limit the financing of health, education and social security policies);

• health and safety measures inside and outside the workplace (legislation on accident prevention and safety is, it is claimed, not being observed); and

• respect for employees' acquired rights.

A resolution adopted on these issues, following a public statement by CGTP's general secretary, confirms the union confederation's policy that political measures have to be taken in order to create a new development model.

For its part, the General Workers' Union (União Geral de Trabalhadores, UGT) has published an extensive report analysing Portugal's socio-economic situation, and developing a number of points upon which it believes governmental action can be taken