Águas de Portugal workers accuse Government of “meddling in the negotiation process” – Observer
About two claims from Finance in Portugal, on Thursday the Águas group (AdP) gathered with the Ministry of Finance, to accuse the Government of the course in negotiation and to increase salaries.
The protest action, carried out this afternoon, was called by the National Union of Workers of Local and Regional Administration (STAL) and by the Inter-union Federation of Metallurgical, Chemical, Electrical, Pharmaceutical, Pulp, Paper, Graphics, Press, Energy and Mines Industries ( FIEQUIMETAL), with the presence of the secretary general of the CGTP-IN, Isabel Camarinha, and workers from the National Press Casa da Moeda.
In addition to claiming the increase group and employees of the risk pendency, its promoters accused the government of meddling in the negotiation process with the administration of this company belonging to the business sector of the State.
The ideal solution is for the Councils [de Administração] public companies, namely Águas de Portugal, negotiate the collective agreement that the companies are in force and which was the subject of a negotiation proposal by the unions. Now, the Government comes to tell the Boards of Directors to apply the 0.9% [de aumentos] that were applied in the Public Administration, the right to collective bargaining in these companies. This cannot be because of the acceptances, the Isabel Camarinha union told journalists.
In the opinion of the CGTP-IN leader, suggesting an increase of 0.9% “is not even a negotiable proposal” and “absolutely nothing is guaranteed, not even the request for the purchasing power of workers”.
“If the proposed administrations can apply the 0.9%, but this is not for negotiation. It is a review of other offers that are not updating workers and that does not respond to increases of 90 euros for all proposed workers, careers, categories, etc.
However, shortly before the start of the protest, a delegation from S.TAL met with the Secretary of State for the Treasury, Miguel Cruz, who, according to unionists, confirmed a proposal of 0.9%, but noted that “It’s just a business basis.”
“The Secretary of State says that was what was determined by the Government. It says that the 0.9% should be negotiated and that there was no tax, but that the 0.9% is the base [negocial] and that does not limit other values. What we want to emphasize here is that they have to be like administrations to value workers”, defended the leader of their unions Mário Matos, from FIEQUIMETAL.
The trade unionist will have a meeting with the administration of the announcementP, which does not exclude “other forms of struggle”, in case the outcome is not satisfactory.
New forms of struggle for these workers are on the table. Fighting for its claims that are just, namely the exclusive of pains and risk, design.
Regarding this moment of hardship and risk, Matos remembered thatand its registration is included in the State Budget for 2021 for Public Administration workers, but that those of Águas de Portugal were not covered.
Contacted by the Lusa agency, an AdP source declined to comment.