Portugal braces for nationwide general strike
Baku, June 2, AZERTAC
Portugal on Tuesday braced for a nationwide general strike scheduled for Wednesday, as trade unions have mobilized workers across transport, healthcare, education, public administration, and industry in protest against proposed labor law reforms, according to Xinhua.
The strike was called by the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), Portugal's largest trade union confederation, in opposition to the government's proposed labor reform package known as "Work XXI," which includes more than 100 amendments to the country's Labor Code and has already been approved by the Council of Ministers.
Transport services will be among the first sectors affected. Metro systems in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, and Porto, a city about 310 km north of Lisbon, have announced they will suspend operations from 11 p.m. on Tuesday (2200 GMT) and will not resume services until Thursday.
Regional and interregional rail services also reported cancellations beginning Tuesday, and the aviation sector is expected to face significant impacts on Wednesday as local media said nearly 500 flights could be affected by the general strike.
In addition, sectors including healthcare, education, public administration, social services, industry, hospitality, and food service are also expected to be affected by the strike.
Portuguese Labor experts told Xinhua the planned general strike reflects a broader challenge facing many European economies, where governments seek to preserve economic growth and competitiveness. At the same time, unions push for stronger labor protections and wage increases amid inflationary pressures.
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