To our comrades at CGT and UGT of Portugal,
On behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, I send our strongest message of solidarity to the workers of Portugal and to your organisations ahead of tomorrow’s general strike.
The proposed labour reform by the government, supported by far-right, represents a profound attack on fundamental workers’ rights. Measures that facilitate dismissals without just cause, impose unpaid overtime, generalise precariousness, weaken collective bargaining, and undermine maternity, parental, and trade union rights are unacceptable. They threaten not only the dignity and security of workers but also the very foundations of social justice and democracy.
Your mobilisation on 11 December is a necessary and courageous response to this retrograde agenda. This strike sends a clear message: workers will not accept policies that dismantle rights and privatise public services.
The ETUC stands firmly with you in this struggle. Together, we defend decent work, equality, and democracy.
In unity and solidarity,
Esther Lynch,
General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation