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The union that represents consular workers abroad accused the Portuguese state on Monday of keeping these workers in Qatar in the same conditions as other immigrants, who have received so much attention ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
“It is unacceptable for a country like Portugal, a member of the European Union”the deputy general secretary of the Union of Consular Workers, Diplomatic Missions and Central Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (STCDE) told Lusa.
Alexandre Vieira spoke about the strike that this union ordered to consular offices, embassies, diplomatic missions and cultural centers from Portugal abroad, between December 5, 2022 and January 12, 2023.
To Qatar, where three employees work at the Portuguese embassy, two more workers were temporarily displacedwho were in Denmark and Moscow, to support the community that goes there to watch the 2022 World Cup soccer matches.
According to Alexandre Vieira, the strike will paralyze these services and The Portuguese who need some help will not be able to count on it????????
The trade unionist recalled that there is no shortage of reasons for these workers to join the protest, since they do not even have social security or health insurance.
“What is in the media, which has been appearing in the international media and even in the Portuguese, that the workers from Sri Lanka, from India, are there and are exploited and have no health insurance, no right to retire, our workers. , three that are also there not have health insurance or retirement insurance”, he said.
He added: “Qatar does not have social security. In Qatar, as in the Emirates and other rich countries, social security is private. If you want healthcare you have to take out health insurance, if you want to retire you have to take out retirement insurance, if you want accident insurance you have to take out accident insurance. If you don’t have money to pay, die????????
The situation of the workers of the Portuguese MNEs in Qatar “is identical” to that of immigrant workers in this country they have no rights, which has led to so many complaints and accusations against the State of Qatar, he continued.
“The only problem is that they are working for the Portuguese State, which should give that [direitos] as a member of the European Union and as if it were something normal”, he added.
Alexandre Vieira recounted the case of a colleague in this country who had to leave, because she wanted to get pregnant and did not have maternity insurance, nor the means to pay for care in a private hospital, having ended up going to Beijing and then to London. .
“In Qatar, health and social security are private,” he said, adding: “If you go to the hospital because you’re sick, you broke your leg, because you fell, if you don’t have insurance they throw you out, go die somewhere else.” .
Source: Observadora
