The main monuments of Sintra are closed this Thursday due to the strike of the employees, which registers a participation of 90%, with the Palace of Queluz operating “with conditions”, a union source told the Lusa news agency.
According to Carlos Faia Fernandes, from the Union of Local and Regional Administration Workers (STAL), the Pena Palace, the Vila Palace, Monserrate and the Capuchos are closed.
Contacted by Lusa, the union leader made a positive assessment of the first of two days of strike by the workers of Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, who demand “serious negotiations” to guarantee fundamental rights, such as the working day and equality among all .
“The workers had already been on strike at Easter and, shortly after, they were summoned to negotiate a company agreement with the administration. The problem is that there was little negotiation. There were some proposals that were accepted, but most were not. There were some commitments, such as an increase of around 100 euros, but the point is that with this increase comes a series of clauses that liberalize working hours,” the same official told Lusa on Wednesday.
The trade unionist also said that the workers demand that the integration into the new salary table be done in a “fair and transparent” manner.
Lusa also contacted the Sintra Park, which confirmed the closure of all spaces, with the exception of the Queluz National Palace, this morning.
In a note sent to Lusa on Wednesday, the company indicated that it began a negotiation process on April 5 for the revision of the Collective Labor Agreement with SINTAP and STAL, which had the objective of “updating the salary tables, a clear improvement of the working conditions and the recognition of seniority”.
“An agreement was reached with SINTAP, which approved the document in plenary session of workers, and the proposal was sent on May 17 to the State shareholder for approval,” he added.
According to the same source, this negotiation made it possible to reach an agreement that “guarantees the sustainable valuation of its salary mass, the operational functioning and the future of the company.”
Sintra Parks — Monte da Lua has around 300 employees and its shareholders are the General Directorate of Treasury and Finance, the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, Turismo de Portugal and the Municipality of Sintra, in the district of Sintra, Lisbon.
The company is in charge of managing the Monserrate Park and Palace, Castle of the Moors, Sintra National Palace, Pena National Park and Palace, Capuchos Convent, Villa and Garden of the Countess of Edla, Cabo da Roca Lighthouse, National Palace and Gardens of Queluz, Vila Sassetti, Portuguese School of Equestrian Art and Peninha Sanctuary.
Source: Observadora
