The dour expressions on the faces of those emerging from four hours of ‘negotiations’ at the Ministry of Labour today said it all: there is still no agreement on the government’s plan for ‘labour reform’ – a document that has already prompted a national strike, but which the prime minister insists is needed to “get the country out of its rut”.
As all reports have been explaining, the employers’ confederation – for whom critics suggest the government’s proposals were written – “wanted an agreement this Tuesday”. Early this morning, Armindo Monteiro – the president of the confederation of Portuguese industry – said that he and his colleagues “believe that Portugal is a bit tired of this negotiation”.
UGT, however – the only union still open to discussions with the government – is prepared to endure the ennui to get what it feels is a ‘good deal’ – and ‘Trabalho XX1’ (the name of the government’s reform bill) does not fit that category.
UGT has already submitted a list of proposals that it would accept – but they did not suit either employers, or the government.
Thus, negotiations must grind on – however tiring.
Reporting on the continued ‘impasse’, SIC Notícias explains that this issue has already been the subject of no less than 50 meetings, initially including also the CGTP union, which has managed to get itself sidelined by dint of its ‘demands’.
There are four employers’ confederations (CIP, CCP, CTP and CAP). UGT faces them, and the government, alone – and is holding out over more than 100 clauses that it does not agree with. The minister of labour however has said that she is prepared to take the draft proposals to parliament, whether or not there is a final agreement. The problem with this attitude is that President Seguro has already said he will veto any diploma that does not have the support of workers/ the unions.
Source material: SIC Notícias
