Thanks to a legal loophole Algarve Câmaras are coming out in favour of their workers. The region’s 16 borough councils have unanimously agreed to snub the government over public sector work schedules.
“It is the only way we can gain coherence,” Jorge Botelho, president of the Algarve Municipalities Association (AMAL) declared, announcing that local councils were unanimous in their desire to stick to workers’ 35-hour weeks and not increase hours to 40, as stipulated by the government in a new law which came out in September last year.
Fortunately, the government’s ruling allowed for negotiation downwards with trades unions, and this is just what has happened.
“All of the region’s municipalities have agreed that the 35-hour schedule should be the rule for our councils,” said Botelho, adding that this unanimous decision is proof that AMAL intends to be a “representative force of the municipalities”.
Now, each borough council will enter into separate agreements with their respective trades unions.
Silves council successful
In Silves this week, the council administration signed their 35-hour weekly working schedule with the STAL workers union. For now, the agreement only applies to employees who are members of the union, but the municipality confirmed in a press release that it intends to extend the measure to cover every council worker, in order to “safeguard equal treatment to all”.
