“Productivity per work unit can bring a solution to Portugal”
The commentator agrees with the candidate for PSD leader, Paulo Rangel, who in an interview with Renaissance defended that a sustained increase in the national minimum wage is necessary.
João Duque begins by explaining that “we have been trying to improve the national minimum wage, but the average gain has been profoundly neglected due to the national minimum wage”, noting that “wages in Portugal rise, but at the expense of the minimum wage and increasingly people were absorbed within the national minimum wage”.
“If we compare what the Portuguese economy was in 2009 with 2019, we see, for example, the percentage of people who earned the minimum wage in 2009 was 8.7 and in 2019 it was 22.1”, says the commentator, stressing that “As the national minimum wage rises, as people are being absorbed by the national minimum wage, the average wage does not rise, it rose very little. The minimum wage rose hard for 10 years by 3.2% and the average wage rose by 1.7%. ”
In João Duque’s understanding, “better management” is urgently needed, in other words, it is necessary to “look at productivity, make the right investment and even if it’s small moves, at least make productivity”.
“Companies have this obligation to increase productivity because productivity per unit of work can bring salvation to Portugal”, understands the commentator, recalling that Portugal has “a very serious problem of sustainability for the elderly population in the next 20 years and we have to think seriously and start now”.
“A well-made investment with a value attributed to the unit of work is fundamental.”
As for not being the current executive to sign the Portugal 2030 partnership agreement, the new multi-annual financial framework of the European Union of 23 million euros from previous funds, but the next Government, as defended in the interview by Paulo Rangel, the commentator understands that “ In this matter of the economy and the development of countries, three months is absolutely nothing”.
“Making a broad commitment, based on a decision that is a collective decision that is expressed through votes, I think it makes perfect sense”, he concludes.