This Wednesday, the business confederations indicated that it was a priority to review labor legislation in next year’s social consultations, while the union confederations considered that “it was not the time”, but did not “shun away” from dialogue.
The tripartite agreement on salary appreciation and economic growth for 2025-2028, signed in October between the Government, the four business centers and the General Union of Workers (UGT), had identified six priority topics to be discussed in social consultation: Health and Safety in Work, Vocational Training, Labor Legislation, Social Security Sustainability, Administrative Reorganization and Modernization and Tax Benefits Statute.
This Wednesday’s meeting “had as its objective, on the one hand, to make a first assessment of this agreement, that is, the transposition of the agreed matters to the proposed State Budget law that is being debated in the RA” and to schedule future meetings, which will have a “frequency of one per month starting in January”, depending on the issues that the social partners consider priority, explained the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, at the end of the meeting, at the headquarters of the Economic and Social, in Lisbon.
Among these issues, the four business confederations refer to labor legislation.
“Labor legislation was profoundly modified, in legislation that went hand in hand with social consultation in the previous government. It was an issue that was discussed only in Parliament and completely outside of social consultation. Today this concern about returning to the agenda was also mentioned”indicated the president of the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP).
“(…) the only concern was a supposed Decent Work Agenda, which, frankly, in many cases, is not worthy of either workers or economic activity,” lamented Armindo Monteiro, pointing in particular to the issue of the ban. outsourcing among the priorities on this topic.
“We are not asking for a deregulation of the labor market, on the contrary. We are saying that the outsourcing there must be the same rules, the same requirements, the same scrutiny as the main activities,” he adds.
CIP defends changes to labor legislation to facilitate subcontracting
The president of the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal (CCP) also considers that “There are conditions” to review labor legislation and points out that it is “an issue that needs to be discussed and deepened.”
Referring to the availability of “commitments”, João Vieira Lopes recalls that it is “a permanent need” to adapt the law “both to new forms of work and to the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
“The objective is to have more modern, more flexible labor legislation that is more in line with the new business structures,” confirms the president of the Portuguese Tourism Confederation (CTP), pointing out as a priority “reviewing issues such as intermittent contracts, durations of contracts, individual time bank.”
On the side of the unions, the general secretary of UGT considers that “it is not a priority” nor “the time” to review labor legislation, recalling that the Decent Work Agenda came into force a little over a year ago and reiterating that “Some measures are not even implemented.”
But he emphasizes that “it does not escape discussion.” “The UGT has always defended dialogue (…) For the UGT there are no taboos, what the UGT does not guarantee is that there is an agreement,” says Mário Mourão.
In turn, the general secretary of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers – National Inter-Union (CGTP-IN) does not say he is “surprised” by the employers’ intention to review labor legislation, however, he expresses concern about the possible repercussions. changes will have on workers’ rights.
Among other priorities defended by the employers is the sustainability of Social Security.
“It is important not only for companies, since the TSU burden and all the fees in this sense are very penalizing and, therefore, it is natural that we have to study new forms of financing,” says João Vieira Lopes, pointing out that “ some of the current forms may become obsolete,” given that “the two-year goal for Social Security reserves has already been met.”
“There is a lot of talk about Social Security surpluses because we only have what the new contributions are resulting from a force of immigrants (…), but no one is accounting for what the liabilities of those contributions are, what are the obligations to pay pensions precisely to who are now in the system. That is to say, the balance is not being achieved,” adds the president of the CIP.
In turn, Francisco Calheiros also lists “the reform and modernization of the State” as a priority, given that “the objective is for there to be a more flexible, faster, less bureaucratic State that values workers.”
The president of the CAP, Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, also defines this matter as a priority, recalling that the laws that regulate this matter “are laws that are dozens of years old,” created when the Public Administration only had “personal contact” with companies. . and citizens.
Source: Observadora
