Portugal’s Teachers Strike Shuts 1,500+ Schools, Parents Scramble for Childcare

The second day of the nationwide civil-service stoppage landed hard on classrooms, leaving three out of every four public-school teachers off the job and many parents scrambling for last-minute childcare. While unions trumpet the turn-out as proof that their fight against the Government’s new labour package has broad backing, officials insist the country is “functioning normally” and show no sign of retreat.

Need-to-know in one glance

• 75 % of teachers joined the walk-out this Thursday, according to union counts.

• 1 500+ schools closed fully and hundreds more operated with skeleton staff.

• Strike called by SITOPAS and backed by FENPROF as part of a wider protest against the so-called Trabalho XXI labour reform.

• Core demands: career valuation, end to precarious contracts, defence of the right to strike, higher meal subsidy.

• Government insists only a “minority” stopped work and says reform talks will continue “without pressure”.

What changed on day two?

Turn-out on Wednesday’s general strike was already high, but Thursday saw the education sector hit even harder. FENPROF’s on-the-ground tally suggests around three-quarters of classroom staff stayed home, an uptick of about 5 percentage points compared with day one. In urban belts like Lisboa, Porto and Setúbal, entire clusters of schools shut their gates. By mid-morning, parent groups were circulating informal WhatsApp maps showing which cafeterias could still serve lunch and where lessons had been cancelled outright.

Why educators walked out

For teachers, the industrial action is about more than the Government’s sweeping labour bill. Union leaders argue that the draft law would make it easier to impose fixed-term contracts, restrict collective bargaining and even cap the right to strike through expanded “minimum services”. Add in years of salary stagnation, a chronic shortage of staff and bureaucratic overload, and the new package felt like a last straw. “This is not a pay dispute in isolation,” said Mário Nogueira, FENPROF’s secretary-general. “It’s a battle for the future of the public school.”

Immediate consequences for families

Class cancellations ripple well beyond the classroom. Parents—especially those without remote-work flexibility—have had to juggle ad-hoc childcare, postponed tests and disrupted routines. School heads report that some winter assessments will now be squeezed into the final week before the Christmas break, raising fears of compressed syllabi. Special-needs coordinators warn that pupils who rely on therapeutic support are at particular risk, as make-up sessions are difficult to schedule once missed.

Government vs union standoff

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s centre-right coalition claims the reform is essential to “modernise labour relations” and align with EU recommendations. His Education Minister, Helena Bravo, told reporters that only “a minority chose to protest” and reiterated that negotiations on the teaching career—a separate track set for early December—remain open. Unions reject the framing, noting that 10 of 12 teacher bodies had already struck a partial deal on career issues before the broader labour plan re-ignited tensions. Analysts such as Rita Tavares from the Institute of Public Policy caution that the Government is under increasing pressure: “With participation rates hovering near historic highs, the executive can’t afford prolonged school closures.”

What could happen next

Organisers have not ruled out further walk-outs in January if the draft labour bill proceeds unchanged. A prolonged showdown could force the Education Ministry to adjust the academic calendar, pushing coursework deeper into spring. Meanwhile, parent federations are split; some urge compromise, others back the strike as “a necessary shock” to save public education. For now, attention shifts to the next scheduled bargaining session at São Bento. Whether the 75 % figure translates into policy concessions will depend on how long classrooms—and public opinion—remain on the union side.

Reporting by the Lisbon desk. All figures sourced from union communiqués, Government statements and independent education monitors.