CGTP Calls National Strike and March on Parliament for April 17 — Construction, Local Government Workers Walk Out

Portugal's largest trade union confederation, the CGTP-IN, has called a national demonstration and coordinated strike action for April 17, with workers from construction, ceramics, local government, and the public sector expected to walk out in protest against the government's sweeping Trabalho XXI labour reform package.

The march will begin at 14:30 at Praça Luís de Camões in Lisbon and proceed to the Assembleia da República (Parliament). A parallel demonstration will take place in Funchal, Madeira, organised by the USAM regional federation.

Which Sectors Are Striking?

Several unions affiliated with the CGTP have filed formal 24-hour strike notices to enable workers to join the demonstration:

• FEVICCOM (construction, ceramics, cement, cork, marble, quarries, and glass): Full 24-hour stoppage from 00:00 to 23:59, with extensions covering overnight shifts that overlap into April 16 and 18.
• STAL (local and regional administration, public companies, and concessionaires): Strike notice covering the full day of April 17.
• Frente Comum, the CGTP's public sector umbrella, is expected to mobilise workers across health services, education, public transport, and the tax administration — though specific transport disruption schedules have not yet been published.

The UGT, Portugal's other major union confederation, is not joining the action. It remains engaged in bilateral negotiations with the government over the labour reform.

What Is the Trabalho XXI Package?

The Trabalho XXI draft law proposes changes to more than 100 articles of the Labour Code. After 53 rounds of negotiation and a general strike in December 2025, the most contentious provisions include:

• Longer fixed-term contracts: Maximum duration extended from 2 years to 3 years, with the minimum raised from 6 months to 1 year.
• Easier dismissal: Employers can seek court exclusion of reinstatement after unlawful dismissal, with compensation set at 45–60 days' pay per year of seniority.
• Expanded minimum service rules during strikes: New sectors added including childcare, nursing homes, food supply, and private security — which unions say effectively restricts the right to strike.
• Telework refusal: Employers would no longer be required to justify in writing a refusal of telework requests.
• Training hours cut: Reduced from 40 to 30 hours per year for workers at microenterprises.
• Individual time banking: Allows employers to arrange up to 2 extra hours per day (150 hours/year) with individual worker consent rather than requiring a collective agreement.

The government's latest revised proposal, dated March 26, dropped some earlier measures — including proposals for purchasable extra vacation days and perfect-attendance bonuses — but retained the core provisions on contracts, dismissals, and strike services.

Why Is the CGTP Striking?

The CGTP's central demands go beyond opposing the labour reform:

1. Full withdrawal of the Trabalho XXI package
2. General and significant wage and pension increases
3. Defence of public services — healthcare, education, social protection, and housing
4. Action on the rising cost of living — particularly food and energy prices

The union has also accused the government of conducting negotiations in a manner it calls "profoundly undemocratic" and "unconstitutional," holding bilateral meetings with the UGT and employer confederations (CIP, CCP, CTP, CAP) while excluding the CGTP from the formal Concertação Social tripartite forum.

CGTP secretary-general Tiago Oliveira warned that the government is trying to advance the package "às socapas" — covertly — and said "all forms of struggle remain on the table, including a general strike."

Government Response

Labour Minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho accused the CGTP of "self-excluding" from the negotiations, contrasting its stance with the "cooperative" approach of the UGT. "We will be here to listen," she said, while challenging the CGTP to clarify "what exactly it wants."

The government continues to negotiate bilaterally with the UGT and the four employer confederations, with the latest meeting held on April 7. The CGTP was not invited.

What Expats and Residents Should Expect

While this is not a full general strike like the December 2025 action, residents across Portugal should be prepared for disruptions on April 17, particularly in:

• Construction: Building sites and related industries will observe a full 24-hour stoppage.
• Local government services: Municipal offices, public companies, and concessionaires may operate with reduced staff.
• Public transport: Potential disruptions, though minimum service decrees have not yet been published.
• Healthcare and education: Some disruption possible through Frente Comum mobilisation.

Minimum service requirements for the April 17 action have not yet been announced. For reference, the December 2025 general strike had minimum services defined for Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, regional, and urban rail in Lisbon and Porto.

The CGTP has signalled that if the government presses ahead with the Trabalho XXI package without addressing union concerns, further and broader industrial action — potentially another general strike — could follow in the weeks ahead.