According to a decree published earlier this month by the previous government, the share of cleaners, security guards, telephone operators, assistants, administrative and secretarial technicians should be increased by 8%. Companies that do not comply with the requirements may be fined up to 10 thousand euros, the online newspaper Eco reports. Decree No. 128/2024 was published on April 2, but the wage increase came on March 1 and applies to administrative workers, who are not subject to specific collective rules, but only on the continent. The document defines “an increase of 7.89% for all levels of the table of minimum monthly remunerations and, accordingly, the amount of payments based on length of service, indexed to level VII of the table of minimum monthly remunerations.” According to Eco, this diploma will cover more than 100 thousand workers. The Confederation of Trade and Services argued for a 5% increase “taking into account the slowdown in inflation, fuel prices and interest rates, combined with the context of uncertainty regarding the development of the global economy and war-related instability.” The Portuguese Business Confederation understands that “taking into account the current economic situation, the strong competition in the markets, the downward trend in the economy, the fall in industrial production and the rising unemployment rate, an increase of 7.89% is counterproductive,” according to a resolution reflecting these positions.