The Trade, Office and Services Union of Portugal (CESP) called for a 24-hour strike on March 27 to raise the sector’s costs, accusing APED of presenting an “unacceptable” wage proposal.
This Thursday, CESP met with the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED) to discuss the revision of the Collective Labor Agreement (CCT) for workers in the sector, which, according to the union, has not been revised since 2016.
The trade union structure said that the meeting did not provide an answer to the workers’ demands, so they decided to move on to new forms of struggle.
“We have decided to call a 24-hour strike for March 27. On this day we will hold two meetings, next to Sonae and Pingo Dose,” said CESP Director Celia Lopez in a conversation with Lusa.
The union leader said the choice of locations for the concentrations was “symbolic” given that Pingo Dose and Sonae had taken turns heading the employers’ association since its founding.
Celia Lopez expressed regret that APED continues to defend the same measures since 2016, such as the introduction of a time bank and “worsening instability” with fixed-term contracts of 12 months.
On the other hand, the union classified the salary proposal as “unacceptable” because it stipulates that a high-ranking employee with eight or more years of experience will receive only 20 euros more than a newly hired employee.
CESP said that on APED’s side, the main change from what was previously proposed concerns the update of the national minimum wage.
“We are talking about a sector that generates millions every year. Obviously, we are right in saying that these profits are obtained due to the devaluation of wages,” said Celia Lopez.
CESP and APED will return to the negotiating table next month.
Workers are demanding a general increase in wages, improved professional careers and a revision of the collective labor agreement (CLA).
Alongside the strike and concentration, the union will continue its direct contact campaign with workers and the general public to raise awareness of the reality faced by distribution company workers and the resulting need to review the CCT.
When contacted by Lusa, an APED spokesman said he had no comment on the strike planning.
“The APED proposal was presented to the CESP this Thursday, March 7, and a new meeting was scheduled to learn about the union’s counter-proposal,” he stressed.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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