Some two hundred delegates, leaders and activists from public administration trade unions held a protest in central Lisbon on Tuesday, promoted by the Common Front, demanding immediate pay rises and career improvements from the future government.
Protesters gathered around 15:00 in the Chiado district and marched along Rua Garrett towards Largo Camões, chanting slogans such as “The struggle continues in the services and on the streets” or “Increasing wages is fundamental”, under the curious gaze of tourists. , who filmed and photographed the protest action of government officials.
The leader of the Common Front, Sebastian Santana, believes that although a new government has not yet been formed following the March 10 elections, the campaign for demands “makes sense” because “the problems of public administration workers today have not been solved, on the contrary, they are aggravated by the lack of response.”
“I want to remind the future government, and in this particular case the future prime minister, that public administration has very serious problems to solve and that a large part of them is related to the deterioration of living and working conditions,” Sebastian Santana told reporters before climb to the podium installed in Largo Camões, where he warned that the unions would not yield a millimeter in their demands.
The United Front demands a wage increase of 15%, a minimum of 150 euros per worker, “and immediately, we cannot wait for next year,” the trade unionist stressed, arguing that this update is possible regardless of the government, since the country has a surplus budget.
Carolina Ribeiro, a nurse from Beja, took part in a protest in central Lisbon “to fight for better working conditions for public servants”, arguing that there was a need for “a more adequate and fair performance evaluation system”, she told Lusa.
José Leitán, senior technician of the municipal council of Vendas Novas and trade union leader of the Évora region, also stressed that “after the elections, the struggle continues because the problems of public administration workers are not resolved.”
“It’s important to be here because during the election campaign we all heard that all the parties, all the political forces candidates are going to do miracles, cut taxes, it’s going to be gold over blue, so let’s see if that’s true or not,” said Jose Piglet.
In the legislative elections of 10 March, the Democratic Alliance (AD), uniting PSD, CDS and PPM, with 29.49%, received 79 deputies in the Assembly of the Republic against 77 for the PS (28.66%), followed by If Chega with 48 elected deputies (18.06%).
IL with eight seats, BE with five and PAN with one, maintained the number of MPs. Livre went from one elected representative to four, and the CDU lost two seats and was left with four deputies.
Four MPs are yet to be investigated for emigration, which will not happen until 20 March. Only after this date and after hearing the parties represented in parliament, the President of the Republic will appoint a new prime minister.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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