Portugal paralyzed by a general strike against labor reform

A new general strike severely disrupted Portugal on Wednesday, with trains at a standstill, hundreds of flights canceled, schools closed, and public services affected. The movement, the second of this scale in six months, was launched by the country's main trade union, the CGTP, to protest a sweeping labor law reform plan put forward by the government.

The minority center-right government plans to adopt a reform supported by the Chega party. The legislation would amend more than a hundred articles of the labor code with the stated aim of boosting productivity and economic growth, following the breakdown of talks with unions.

According to union representatives, this reform risks worsening job insecurity, facilitating layoffs, reducing certain social protections, and limiting the right to strike. The general secretary of the CGTP, Tiago Oliveira, believes that the new provisions would significantly weaken the guarantees currently enjoyed by employees.

Many workers share these concerns. Some denounce the possibility of longer working hours, increased flexibility in schedules, and greater ease for companies to replace employees with subcontractors or outsourced workers.

The consequences of the strike were quickly felt throughout the country. The national railway suspended most of its services, the Lisbon metro closed several stations, and schools had to suspend operations due to staff shortages. In the airline sector, companies canceled a significant portion of their flights, disrupting travel for thousands of passengers.

The government, however, defends its reform, arguing that it will modernize the Portuguese labor market and strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy. The unions promise to continue their mobilization if the bill is passed without major changes.

This social confrontation is taking place in a tense political context, where issues of purchasing power, employment and working conditions occupy a central place in the Portuguese public debate.