The Union of Trade Unions of Madeira (USAM) anticipates a large mobilization of Madeiran workers on December 11th, joining the General Strike called by the inter-union General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) as a form of protest against the labor package presented by the Government of the Republic in recent weeks.
Elisa Mendonça, a leader of USAM, was at Largo do Chafariz this afternoon raising awareness among regional workers about the importance of this struggle. She told journalists that initiatives like the one that took place this afternoon in the center of Funchal aim to “provoke passersby and alert them to what is at stake,” with a strong focus on the loss of rights for women. “Women’s rights are not bargaining chips and are not negotiable,” she asserted, therefore appealing for a mobilization of workers for this cause.
Speaking about some of the 100 measures at stake in this revision of the Labor Law promoted by the Executive led by Luís Montenegro, Elisa Mendonça laments the ‘attack’ on collective bargaining, an instrument that allowed workers to gain certain rights, including the rights to breastfeeding and flexible working hours.
In this regard, she says it is “important that all women, as driving forces of society, can join in,” therefore appealing for their participation in the rally scheduled for 11:30 am on the 11th, next to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira.
Convinced that “this labor package is going to fall,” at least as far as the workers and regional union structures are concerned, the USAM representative notes that the information they have gathered points to good participation in the general strike. “The workers are even incredulous at how it is possible to take away these rights, but these rights are on the table and they cannot take away our rights,” she reinforces, lamenting that “while for others there is always more, for those who work it’s just cuts.”
While agreeing that labor legislation is out of step with current economic demands, Elisa Mendonça does not subscribe to the arguments presented by the Government of the Republic and asserts that the change must be in the direction of granting more and better rights to workers.
“The Government is right when it says that [the labor law] is not adequate, but it is necessary to improve working conditions, to improve people’s living conditions. Therefore, yes, it has to change, but not with these criteria, not with this supposed flexibility, which will, for example, force workers to work two more hours a day,” he notes.
Asked which sectors in the Region are expected to participate most in the general strike, Elisa Mendonça points to the public sector, also mentioning the commerce and services sectors, including transport and garbage collection. “We have some data that indicates good participation,” she emphasizes.
Regarding the constraints that this general strike could cause, the USAM union representative emphasizes that “the constraints of these 100 measures are much greater than a single day of work stoppage. And if this government doesn’t fall, the constraints we will face from now on will be much greater, because they won’t stop here. If this labor package goes ahead, believe me, it won’t end here,” she argues to journalists.
Reinforcing the call for participation in the strike, Elisa Mendonça argues that “this labor package has to fall and it must fall, because if it doesn’t fall, after this one is approved, other measures will come,” predicts the union leader.
On December 11th, the various trade union structures in the Region, including those that are part of USAM, have prepared several initiatives to mobilize workers, including the day before.