Unions react to the Community Support Framework 2000-2006

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In May 1999, the Portuguese government presented to trade unions its third Community Support Framework, the operational programme for applying EU funding over the coming years. In their reactions, the unions gave vocational training, jobs, and guaranteed rights a high priority.

The Portuguese government is currently setting up the format for the third Community Support Framework (CSF), which will define Portugal's strategy for applying European Community funding for the years 2000 to 2006. This funding represents 12% of the total investments to be made in Portugal over the next few years. In the new strategy, infrastructures relating to the environment and transportation, although still important, will be given less emphasis than before. A substantial portion of the funding will go to improving the level of vocational skills and promoting employment and social cohesion. Another portion will go towards supporting economic activities. These lines of intervention will be pursued on a regional basis. With an eye towards fostering the competitiveness of companies, the government has decided that the Ministry of the Economy will manage the Community funds, rather than other Ministries, such as the Ministry of Equipment, as was previously the case.

The Minister of the Economy met with the two main trade union confederations in mid-May 1999 to examine the CSF and get their reactions to the Framework's overall operational programme. Both union confederations highlighted the need for improvements in vocational training and employment. The General Worker's Union (União Geral de Trabalhadores, UGT) says that the measures to be implemented will have to meet the requirements of a combined vision of support not only for competitiveness but also for vocational education, training and jobs. According to the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP), it is not enough to create "mega-projects". Investments must be more structural and based on the vocational training and education of the working population. In addition, subsidies granted to companies must be dependent on their complying with labour laws and respecting the rights of workers.