The strike by local government workers called by STAL took place on Friday at 10:30 am and affects schools, garbage collection, libraries and museums, among other services, on the continent, a union source told Lusa, without revealing figures for participation in the strike.
Speaking to Lusa news agency, the president of the Public Administration Workers’ Union (STAL), Cristina Torres, said the strike was planned to allow workers to take part in the demonstration scheduled for Friday morning in Lisbon to demand better wages, affecting some services in several districts.
“At the moment I cannot estimate the number of people who will join the strike. We are aware that there will be schools affected, mainly kindergartens, museums and libraries, but we do not have any figures yet,” he said.
Cristina Torres said that the workers were gathered at Jardim da Estrela at 10:30 a.m. to begin the demonstration, which ends at Jardim das Francesinhas, next to the Assembly of the Republic.
“We will be very close to the Prime Minister’s official residence. Let’s shout, to see if he hears us and responds to our request.” We are also very close to the Assembly of the Republic, where we are about to start the discussion of the State Budget for 2025,” the union leader told Lusa on Thursday.
On 25 June, STAL had submitted a petition to the government, signed by 25,000 workers, outlining the union’s main proposals.
This is about increasing the minimum wage in public administration and the food subsidy, as well as the expansion of the scope of the Supplement for Hardship and Unhealthiness (SPI), measures that would contribute to “valuing workers.”
Regarding the SPI, STAL defends the increase in its scope, both in relation to the workers who benefit from it, as well as its applicability: “It was very limited. It was only for workers in the operational assistant career and, within this career, for a limited set of professions. We consider it possible and necessary to extend the scope of this supplement to other careers and more professions,” argued Cristina Torres.
The union also wants this subsidy to go from being just a burden and an unhealthy situation to also include risk.
Currently, the highest SIP value is €4.99 (per day) and the lowest is €3.36, and an “update of these values based on inflation” is requested.
Another of the demands has to do with a minimum increase of 150 euros in all salaries. and the establishment in 2025 of a minimum wage, in the public administration, of 1,000 euros (currently, the value is 821.83 euros).
Another demand is to increase the daily allowance for meals from the current six euros to 10.50 euros.
In parallel to the strike in the sector planned to participate in the protest, the Lisbon Municipal Workers’ Union (STML), which is also participating in this demonstration, has called for a 24-hour strike to demand better working conditions and salaries for this Friday.
In a statement released on September 4, STML explains that the strike takes place between midnight and midnight on Friday and that it covers all workers in the municipality of Lisbon, including those in municipal and intermunicipal companies, foundations and others, as well as all workers in the parish councils of the municipality, “regardless of their contractual relationship, work schedule and place of work.”
Source: Observadora
