Some supermarkets in the Greater Lisbon region are closed or operating at half capacity due to Sunday’s strike by retail workers demanding higher wages, a union source said.
The 24-hour strike, which began at 00:00 and ended at 23:59, led to the closure of Minipreço supermarkets in Lisbon, Amador, Odivelas and Barreiro, Filipa Costa, president of Cesp, the Trade Union of Trade Workers, told Lusa. and the Portuguese Services, which called for a strike.
During the first assessment at 10:00 a.m., the director announced that some Pingo Doce supermarkets in the Lisbon area had almost half the staff working, and the gas station in Braga was closed.
The workers demand a salary increase of at least 150 euros per month and compliance with working hours.
According to Filipa Costa, it is unacceptable that in the face of a “rising cost of living” workers continue to receive the minimum wage or “a little more” while company profits “increase exponentially”.
The union leader also highlighted the “general lack of respect” for working hours.
“There are not enough workers and companies don’t want to hire them,” said the president of Cesp, a union that is also demanding trade closures on Sundays and holidays and a reduction in working hours to 10pm on other days.