Why do labor reforms always have to favor company profits?
Major unions CGTP and UGT called the strike to oppose reforms affecting 100+ labor code articles, including easier dismissals and reduced protections for nursing mothers. The center-right minority government claims reforms boost productivity and growth, but unions argue they favor employers while Portugal enjoys low unemployment and economic strength.
- First general strike since June 2013
- Reforms affect 100+ articles of labor code
- TAP airline reduced to one-third of 260 daily flights
- Government backed by far-right Chaga party
- Portugal has strong economy and low unemployment
Portugal's largest unions launched their first general strike since 2013, paralyzing transport and healthcare services to protest government labor reforms that would weaken worker protections despite strong economic conditions.
Portugal came to a standstill on Wednesday as the country's two largest unions, CGTP and UGT, called their first general strike since June 2013. The streets of Lisbon fell quiet. Public transport limped along at minimum service levels. Hospitals remained open but postponed most consultations and surgeries as nurses joined the walkout. The national airline TAP expected to operate only about one-third of its roughly 260 daily flights to and from the country.
The strike was called to oppose a sweeping labor reform that would rewrite more than 100 articles of Portugal's labor code. The center-right minority government, led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, argues the changes will boost productivity and drive economic growth. The unions see it differently: they accuse the government of tilting the playing field toward employers at the expense of workers, even as Portugal enjoys strong economic conditions and unemployment near historic lows.
The proposed reforms would make it easier for small and medium-sized companies to fire workers for cause. They would remove restrictions on outsourcing and subcontracting. One of the more contentious provisions would limit to two years the right of nursing mothers to flexible work schedules. The bill has not yet been presented to Parliament, but the government has secured backing from the far-right Chega party to pass it.
Tiago Oliveira, general secretary of the CGTP union, framed the strike as a moment for workers to reject the entire package. "We will have a major general strike," he told reporters. "Our call is for all workers to use this day as a way to reject the labor reform." The government refused to budge. Montenegro said his administration respects the right to strike and has been a government of dialogue, but insisted it would not abandon its reformist agenda. "We are a government with a reformist spirit and will not give up on being reformist and transformative," he said.
For some workers, the choice to strike was not really a choice at all. João Silva, a 32-year-old employee at a stationery shop, said he could not afford to join the walkout because he had no permanent contract. He sympathized with the strike's aims, though. "They want to fire older people to hire young people, obviously with lower salaries," he said. "Why do labor reforms always have to favor company profits?" His question hung in the air unanswered—a reminder that the strike was not just about union politics or economic theory, but about whether workers in Portugal would have any say in the terms of their own employment.
The last general strike in Portugal came in June 2013, when the country was still reeling under the weight of international bailout conditions that had slashed salaries and raised taxes. This time, the economy is stronger. Unemployment is lower. Yet the government is pushing through reforms that workers fear will undo protections built over decades. The strike represents the first major test of whether that fear can translate into political pressure strong enough to stop the changes from becoming law.
Notable Quotes
Our call is for all workers to use this day as a way to reject the labor reform.— Tiago Oliveira, general secretary of CGTP union
We are a government with a reformist spirit and will not give up on being reformist and transformative.— Prime Minister Luís Montenegro
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why now? Portugal's economy is actually doing well, unemployment is down. What's driving the unions to call a strike?
That's the paradox at the heart of this. The government is saying: we have room to reform because things are good. The unions are saying: exactly—so why are you taking away protections when workers don't need to trade them for survival? It's about power, not necessity.
The reforms affect over 100 labor code articles. What's the single change that worries workers most?
Probably the easier dismissals for small and medium companies. Right now there are real barriers to firing someone. The reform lowers those barriers. Combined with the outsourcing changes, it means a worker's job becomes more precarious, even in a strong economy.
The government has backing from the far-right Chaka party. Does that change how workers see this?
It does. It signals something about the government's priorities and who it's willing to align with. For unions, it's another reason to believe this isn't about shared prosperity—it's about shifting power toward capital.
João Silva can't strike because he has no permanent contract. How many workers are in that position?
That's the invisible part of the story. Precarious workers are growing in number across Europe. They're the ones who benefit least from strong economies and suffer most from weaker protections. They're also the ones who can't afford to strike.
What happens next?
The government says it won't retreat. The bill goes to Parliament. The Chaga backing means it likely passes. But a general strike this large—the first in twelve years—sends a message. Whether that message changes anything depends on whether more pressure builds.