Portugal Faces Mass Strike on Dec 11 as Workforce Battles Labour Reforms

Portugal’s largest unions say the government is right to be nervous: the nationwide walkout scheduled for 11 December could freeze large swaths of everyday life, from morning metro rides to hospital appointments, and shave hundreds of millions of euros off national output in a single day.

Snapshot at a Glance

• Date: 11 December

• Trigger: proposed labour-law package Trabalho XXI

• Expected reach: about 50 % of the workforce

• Sectors on notice: transport, schools, health care, civil service, industry

• Economic hit: €600-700 M in lost production and delayed services

• Political mood: rare joint action by CGTP and UGT after 12 years

A Warning from Government — and a Retort from Labour

The remark that set off headlines came from Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz, who admitted “serious concern” over the scale of the forthcoming greve geral. Union leaders seized on the statement, calling it proof that the cabinet now recognises “the gravity of dismantling workers’ rights.” CGTP secretary-general Isabel Camarinha told reporters that ministries should not be surprised if half the country’s employees stay home: “They wrote a bill that opens the door to cheaper layoffs; people will answer in the streets.”

What Exactly Is Trabalho XXI?

The 200-page draft law overhauls Portugal’s labour code. Key provisions would:

• shorten severance notice periods,

• expand fixed-term contracts,

• legalise broader outsourcing inside the same activity, and

• allow companies to suspend collective bargaining in crisis scenarios.Unions say the package replicates elements of Spain’s 2012 reforms but strips away Portuguese safeguards on parental leave and training rights. The government argues that modernising the code is essential to keep startups and foreign investors from relocating to Spain or Ireland.

Where the Strike Will Bite First

Transport agencies are bracing for turbulence. Metro de Lisboa drivers, CP rail crews and airport cabin staff (SNPVAC) have already filed strike notices. The aviation pilots’ union (SPAC) holds a 5 December assembly widely expected to join.Beyond mobility, schools, public hospitals and city halls anticipate major staffing gaps. Even the private sector is lining up: bank tellers, telecom technicians and construction crews in Porto and Setúbal have endorsed the 1-day halt. Migrant-worker organisations including Casa do Brasil call the strike “an act of self-defence” for cleaners, farmhands and hotel staff who seldom appear in official statistics yet keep tourist centres running.

Counting the Cost

Economist Carlos Brito pegs the direct and indirect bill at €600-700 M, roughly 0.25 % of monthly GDP. The hardest-hit businesses will be those that cannot recover lost output later, such as urban transit, day surgeries and perishable-goods logistics. Brito warns of a “second-round effect on investor confidence” if the clash drags on.

Government’s Damage-Control Toolkit

Cabinet members claim they will soften the blow by:

negotiating weekend-level minimum services with power-grid operator REN and transport companies;

requesting voluntary overtime shifts in emergency wards;

activating contingency buses between major commuter hubs.Still, officials concede that a 50 % stoppage means delays are inevitable and some outbound flights will be cancelled.

The Road to 11 December

• 5 Dec – SPAC pilots’ vote on joining the strike• 8 Dec – Parliament’s committee hears last expert testimony on Trabalho XXI• 10 Dec, midnight – legal deadline for essential-service staffing lists• 11 Dec – Portugal’s first joint CGTP-UGT strike since 2013 begins

Why It Matters Beyond One Day

For residents, the dispute is larger than a single Thursday without metros. If Trabalho XXI passes unchanged, future job protections could look very different from the framework born after the 1974 Revolution. Conversely, if unions force concessions, Lisbon may shelve an agenda the European Commission views as pro-growth. Either way, the scale of participation will telegraph how much leverage organised labour still wields in a post-pandemic economy that relies heavily on service-sector and platform jobs.

Quick Take-Aways

• Expect severe transit disruptions, especially at dawn and late evening.

• Reschedule non-urgent medical or bureaucratic appointments.

• Export-oriented factories may shift overtime to previous weekends to cushion losses.

• The final balance of power between government modernisers and workplace traditionalists could define Portugal’s labour landscape for the next decade.