€6 Meal Voucher Standoff Risks New Public Service Strikes in Portugal

Canteens across the country remain abuzz: the State has decided that another year will pass without a cent more for the daily subsídio de refeição. While the Government promises tiny rises only from 2027 onward, unions insist the current €6 ceiling shrinks every time a pão com manteiga goes up in price. The dispute has become a litmus test of how far the next public-sector budget will stretch—and of what lunch really costs in Portugal today.

Why the €6 Voucher Still Dominates the Cafeteria Talk

For Portugal’s 350 000 central-government employees, the meal allowance has been stuck at €6 since April 2023. In the draft 2025 Budget, the Finance Ministry keeps that figure unchanged for both 2025 and 2026. A modest climb of 10 cents per year is pencilled in only from 2027, pushing the subsidy to €6.30 by 2029. Officials argue the gradual approach protects the public purse at a time of slowing economic growth, yet many civil servants say the decision ignores everyday realities in Lisbon, Porto, or even smaller towns where a simple prato do dia rarely falls below €8.

Unions Cry Foul and Quote the Price of Bread

The initial reaction was swift. The Frente Comum branded the proposal “perfectly miserable”, while Fesap leader José Abraão quipped that an extra ten cents “doesn’t even buy bread”. The federation still welcomes the fact that the Government admits the allowance needs updating—after two years of silence—but is demanding a leap to €10 with tax exemption. Meanwhile, the STE, speaking for technical staff, floated €12 earlier this year before lowering its ask to €10 for 2026. All three warn that workers have already lost purchasing power to inflation; anything below double-digit euros, they say, simply moves the problem forward.

The Private-Sector Gap and the Inflation Squeeze

Unlike the State, most private employers top up cards rather than wage packets. Because the IRS ceiling for electronic meal cards stands at €10.20 in 2025, companies routinely load balances well above the public benchmark. That puts civil servants nearly 70 % behind their private-sector peers. Compounding the gap, food-price inflation hit 4 % in September after a brief spring slowdown, and staples such as fresh produce climbed even faster. The mismatch means the real value of the State voucher has eroded significantly since the last increase, leaving many workers to dip into their own wallets by mid-week.

What Happens Next—and Why It Matters Beyond the Canteen

Negotiations resume in early November, but insiders see little room for the Government to sweeten the pot without reopening the entire wage grid. Still, the dispute could influence upcoming talks on the national minimum wage and on tax incentives for meal cards, two issues that touch millions outside the public payroll. Should unions call fresh strikes, disruptions could cascade from schools to customs posts just as holiday travel intensifies. For now, the daily €6 coin remains both a symbol and a battleground, reminding Portugal that fiscal restraint on paper often collides with the rising cost of lunch on the street.