Public-service workers walk out in Portugal
By
John Catalinotto
Published Mar 14, 2010 7:23 PM
Four of every five public-sector workers in Portugal walked off their jobs on
March 4 to protest government plans to decrease pensions, eliminate and
outsource jobs and continue a freeze on wages. Trade unions representing more
than 500,000 such workers joined the strike.
The issues are remarkably similar to those raised in Greece in this period. A
government led by a nominally Socialist Party is attempting to impose severe
cutbacks on the working class, while the imperialist bankers of the European
Union’s big powers pressure the Portuguese government to impose even
greater cutbacks.
In Portugal, as in Greece, there is a major combative trade union confederation
— the CGTP — that was organized by the Portuguese Communist Party.
The March 4 strike was waged in the name of the Common Front, which includes
other trade union organizations. Even trade unions linked to the governing
Socialist Party joined the strike.
Portugal’s unions said their members had suffered worsening conditions
for years as public pensions and other benefits were cut. This year,
public-sector wages were frozen to appease international speculators concerned
about the government’s budget deficit.
The walkout shut schools, hospitals and public offices. Court hearings and
waste collection were also affected. According to Ana Avoila, spokesperson for
the Common Front, 80 percent of the workers joined the strike, the same as when
the three union federations united in 2007. The Common Front announced that
there will be local actions in April and a great united protest at the end of
May.
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