This Wednesday, June 3rd, is a day of general strike in Portugal. This is expected to have repercussions in various sectors of Madeira, in a national strike against the proposed revision of labor legislation presented by the Government of the Republic. The initiative has the support of the Union of Trade Unions of Madeira (USAM), which is promoting a rally at 11:30 am next to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, in Funchal.
The strike comes a day before tomorrow’s bank holiday where many workers arrange a bridge day , giving them a longer break, which could see many people with a 5 day break.
At issue is the so-called “labor package,” a set of changes to the Labor Code that has generated strong opposition from unions and workers’ organizations.
The strike could impact public and private services, including schools, healthcare facilities, transportation, and administrative services, although some sectors are planning to provide minimum services to ensure essential responses. Nationally, several unions in the transportation, healthcare, and education sectors have already confirmed their participation in the strike.
As has been reported over the past few days, for example, the Aviation and Airport Workers’ Union (SITAVA) announced its participation in the general strike, while guaranteeing minimum services on air connections to the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores.
Public transport is also expected to be affected. The company estimates that its services will be disrupted for 24 hours next Wednesday.
The company stated that the decreed minimum services “do not cover all routes on the network” and that the aforementioned order “divides the service into two groups, comprising a total of 60 routes.”
The same is expected to happen in schools across the region, with the coordinator of the Madeira Teachers’ Union, Francisco Oliveira, attending the rally scheduled for this morning.