Porto, Portugal – Workers throughout the country set up picket lines and marched in the streets instead of going to work on June 3, bringing key sectors of the economy to a standstill. Public transit, education, health care and many sectors of production were impacted by a general strike.

The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), a militant class-struggle union which is part of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), called Portugal’s second general strike in six months as they battle to defeat an anti-worker and anti-union “Labor Package” being pushed by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the right-wing parties in the Assembly of the Republic.

After picketing at work sites around the Porto area, thousands of workers gathered at 3 p.m. at Praça da Batalha for a mass march to the center of Porto. This was one of around 30 such marches in cities throughout the country. Workers carried banners representing dozens of sectors and workplaces that were on strike and carried signs denouncing the labor package as representing the interests of bosses, not workers. The most popular chant was “O ataque é brutal — a greve é general” (in English: “the attack is brutal — the strike is general”), making clear that their response to this serious attack on workers’ rights is the whole working class uniting and taking action together.

Speakers from different unions announced what percentage of workers in their workplaces participated in the strike, providing actual numbers to counter Prime Minister Montenegro’s statement to the media that not many workers participated. Union leaders announced that in key sectors the numbers were between 75 and 100%. While public sector unions generally seemed to have higher participation, there were private sector companies that also had significant participation. For example, union members from the most prominent beer company in Portugal, Super Bock, announced that their production was entirely shut down for the day. CGTP posted pictures on social media throughout the day of picket lines at many companies and facilities around the country.

CGTP General Secretary Tiago Oliveira told SIC Noticias, “Workers today are deeply knowledgeable about the content of the labor package. What the CGTP seeks most at this moment is to give voice to the workers. It is with the strength of these people that we are absolutely certain that we will defeat this labor package.”

The CGTP announced they will continue to fight to not only stop this labor package, but to push forward their demands that correspond to the urgent needs of working families: increasing the minimum wage, workers’ rights, and public services.

#PortoPortugal #International #Portugal #Labor #Strike #CGTP

Porto, Portugal – Business elites and conservative political leaders are powerless to stop the massive working class wave about to hit them as momentum builds toward a nationwide general strike June 3.

Portugal’s largest union federation, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), called a general strike to demand that Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the conservative parties in the Assembly of the Republic abandon the “Labor Package” they are trying to pass that aims to harm the rights and living standards of workers and weaken their unions. This will be the second general strike against the Labor Package; the first took place on December 11, 2025.

Each day brings news of more unions planning to join the general strike as workers in different sectors and workplaces meet and vote to participate. Billboards, posters and graffiti are widely visible on the streets promoting the general strike.

Public transit will largely screech to a halt as unions representing transportation workers have announced they’ll participate in the strike. These include the Federation of Transport and Communications Unions (FECTRANS), the National Union of Railroad Workers (SNTSF), the National Union of Train Drivers (SMAQ), among others.

A spokesperson for the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) told the media that as many as 500 airline flights could be cancelled by the strike, with possible spillover the day before and after, as cabin crew and airport ground workers participate in the strike.

The National Union of Workers in Local and Regional Administration, Public Companies, Concessionaires and Related Entities (STAL), representing local municipal workers, will participate in the general strike, which will impact services like trash collection, libraries and services at municipal government offices.

The National Federation of Doctors (FNAM) and the Portuguese Nurses Union (SEP) have committed to strike nationally, which could bring most non-emergency medical care to a halt. The National Federation of Teachers (FENPROF) is participating in the general strike, so schools are likely to be closed.

Call centers are a huge sector of the economy in Portugal, largely employing young people. The National Union of Telecommunications and Audiovisual Workers (SINTAAV) in that sector is participating in the strike.

Some unions have gone beyond the one-day strike and announced they will be striking for part or all of the week. This includes the Union of Migration Technicians (STM), who will strike all week from June 1-5 to protest understaffing and outsourcing that has placed immense pressures on workers at Portugal’s immigration agency.

Among the many other unions participating in the June 3 general strike are the Commercial, Office and Service Workers' Union of Portugal (CESP), Union of Health, Solidarity and Social Security Workers (STSSSS), Union of Manufacturing Industries, Energy and Environmental Activities (SITE), Union of Workers in the Hotel, Tourism, Restaurant and Similar Industries of the North (Hotelaria Norte), National Union of Professionals in the Clothing and Textile Industry and Trade (SINPICVAT), Union of Performing Arts, Audiovisual and Musician Workers in Portugal (CENA-STE). This is just a sampling of the much longer list.

In addition to unions, many social movement organizations are also mobilizing for the general strike, including organizations such as Vida Justa, Plataforma Ja Marchavas, Revolutionary Antifascist Action Group (GARA), and more.

On June 3, workers won’t just be staying home from work. The CGTP is organizing around 30 mass mobilizations and marches in cities across Portugal.

Portugal’s constitution is among the most progressive in capitalist countries with regard to the right of workers to unionize and strike to improve their conditions. This labor reform package aims to chop away at those constitutional guarantees.

A flyer from CGTP explaining the reasons for the general strike says, “the labor package serves only the interest of capital; it means more exploitation, the concentration of wealth, greater injustice, the erosion of wage, unfair dismissals, the deregulation of working hours, the dismantling of collective bargaining, and restrictions on the right to strike and freedom of association. The PSD/CDS government, supported by Chega and IL, wants to retain everything that is wrong with labor legislation – which is already unfavorable to workers – and make it much worse.”

Instead of this anti-worker labor package, the CGTP proposes to increase workers’ salaries, workers’ rights, and public services.

#PortoPortugal #Portugal #International #Labor #Strike

Porto, Portugal – At an event in Porto on July 4 attended by around 200 people, leaders of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) firmly condemned the privatization of a key state energy company, Efacec, to a German shareholder. Mutares, the German shareholder, submitted a bid to acquire a 71% ownership of the currently nationalized company that specializes in transformers, appliances and equipment, automation solutions and electric mobility.

The Communist Party leaders who spoke at the event said that this new privatization would deepen the process of deindustrialization and have a serious impact on the country's financial situation, negatively impacting the working class.

Paulo Raimundo, general secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party, spoke at the event in Porto, condemning the privatization and announcing actions the Communist Party will take to try to stop it. One action he said the party will take is that its members who are elected to the Assembly of the Republic will present a resolution there to try to block the imminent privatization.

Privatization and other harms inflicted on the Portuguese economy by multinational capital have resulted in one in five people leaving Portugal to work in richer countries – the highest emigration rate in the European Union.

#PortoPortugal #Porto #Portugal #EU #PCP #Europe

Porto, Portugal – Around 100 people gathered in the northern Portuguese city of Porto to show solidarity with the Cuban revolution. They came together at the People's University of Porto (Universidade Popular de Porto, UPP) to demand an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

The United States government imposed a blockade to strangle the Cuban economy soon after the 1959 Cuban Revolution.

Ilda Figueiredo, representing the Portuguese Cuban Solidarity Association, gave a sharp message condemning the oppression that Cubans face on a daily basis due to the U.S. blockade.

Claudia Amador González, ambassador of Cuba in Portugal joined the meeting via video conference to express, “the importance of international solidarity with Cuba, and that every effort done in favor of Cuba is very important, since we need to fight the blockade from everywhere.”

The participants chanted “Cuba vencerá!” (Cuba will win) to demonstrate that the Cuban revolution isn't isolated or forgotten internationally, and that the Cuban socialist system is seen as a great hope for humanity.

At the end of the meeting all the participants committed to continuing the fight and to coming together in solidarity with Cuba.

#PortoPortugal #Porto #Cuba #PeoplesStruggles #Portugal #Europe