Cesp, the union for commercial workers, has revealed that more and more shopping centre employees are appealing for help over “almost inhumane” working conditions.
In a statement released this week, the union claims the quality of employment in shopping centres is degrading with each passing day – with workers subject to disproportionate schedules, reduced salaries and pressure to accept new rules.
It adds that the situation causes high levels of physical and psychological stress.
“It is rare to speak to someone who is not suffering from depression or anxiety attacks. Some people cry even when speaking about the simplest of things,” said the union’s António Santos. “Mothers feel they are letting their children down with the brutal schedules” they are forced to work to.
He described the case of one employee “who works from 4pm to midnight on one day and has to return the following day to work the morning shift at 8am.
Classifying the situation as “almost inhumane”, Santos considered that it was also a “violation of the labour contract”.
However, a report in Público newspaper cited a source from the Portuguese Association for Shopping Centres (APCC) claiming they were not aware of any violations of the law, and that the information given by Cesp did not correspond to their understanding of the situation.
