October is rapidly becoming pitted with dates where public sector employees and others are threatening strike action.
Nurses who called a five-day national walkout earlier this month are due back with new protests (click here), while doctors too are reported to be “pondering rotative strikes” throughout the country, as well as a national strike and demonstration in Lisbon during the second week of the month.
Judges, who until yesterday had been threatening to blight upcoming municipal elections, have stepped back from their plan for industrial action on October 3 and 4, citing “great willingness” shown by parliamentary groups to “integrally discuss” the issues.
“Sometimes it is more courageous to desist than to persist”, syndicate spokesperson Manuela Paupério told reporters.
And while doctors’ strife is still firing up the profession, health minister Adalberto Campos Ferreira is of the opinion that negotiations are “very much closer” to a deal than they have been up till now.
Meantime, in the private sector it is Neves-Corvo miners in Aljustrel who are threatening a five-day strike from October 3 to 7.
Says alternative website AbrilAbril, the issues centre on management “pressure and repression” which miners claim “have been growing” for some time.
The miners working for Somincor – a subsidiary of Canadian group Lundin Mining – have stressed that if they do not make headway with strike action in October, they will mount further five day initiatives in November and December.
Observador explains problems centre on what is termed the “continuous labour regime” underground and the “humanisation” of working hours.
But there are other points of contention – not least the miners’ ability to progress in their careers/ pay brackets.
According to AbrilAbril, the Neves Corvo (copper and zinc) mines have generated €130 million in sales for Lundin Mining just in the first half of this year.
That is apparently a €15 million increase on sales for 2016.
