Police unions meet Government amid deepening pay dispute
On 17 September 2026, Portuguese security forces held critical negotiations with the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), revealing a sharp division among unions over proposed changes to border control supplements — and a broader failure to deliver on a signed 2024 agreement.
Six out of seven PSP unions accepted the Government’s €160 frontier supplement proposal, pending confirmation that the amount will rise in line with elite units by 2028. But the largest police association, ASPP/PSP, rejected the offer outright, announcing a cycle of joint protests between 22 September and 30 October across major cities, including Lisbon and Porto.
The MAI offered a one-off, time-limited supplement of €160 per month, effective retroactively from July 2026, rising to €230 in January 2027. This applies exclusively to members of the PSP’s UNEF and GNR’s UCCF — units handling border and coast control. The measure aims to retain staff in these high-pressure posts, citing strict EU compliance demands and specialized training requirements.
BUT — recipients must drop existing patrol or command supplements, meaning some officers could see net gains as low as €70. The proposal also pays the same flat rate to agents, sergeants, and officers — a point critics say ignores rank-based duties.
‘It’s a bit empty,’ said Paulo Santos, president of ASPP/PSP, who pointed to unaddressed questions about officers already fulfilling UNEF duties without formal membership. ‘You can’t replace one supplement with another and call it progress.’
In contrast, unions including SINAPOL, SPP, ASAPOL, SIAP, SNCC/PSP and SNOP signaled readiness to negotiate — but only if the €230 figure is later recalibrated to match payments in other elite units like the Unidade Especial de Polícia.
‘If we’re calling it a special unit, then we can’t pay special unit rates to anyone — especially not less than others in similar roles,’ said SINAPOL’s Armando Ferreira.
Meanwhile, seven GNR associations and PSP unions jointly petitioned Minister Luís Neves for a ‘fair and adequate risk supplement’ — one matching the structure of the Polícia Judiciária’s (PJ) pay system. The PJ’s 2023 supplement, paid as a percentage of base salary (up to 20% for senior staff), results in payouts far exceeding the flat-rate increases granted to PSP and GNR.
While PJ’s total cost averages €23 million annually for 1,400 personnel, matching its method across PSP and GNR (40,000+ troops) could cost €154 million.
The dispute is rooted in an unfulfilled 2024 agreement, which increased the risk supplement by €300 — but neglected reforms to salary scales, career progression, and performance evaluation. That deal, signed with five unions, remains incomplete.
‘We’re not reacting to protests,’ MAI said in a statement, emphasizing that Monday’s talks and the 29 September follow-up were always scheduled.
The next meeting, scheduled for 29 September, will tackle career restructuring and working hours — matters that, if unresolved, risk further unrest. For thousands of frontline officers in Portugal, pay parity isn’t just a negotiable demand — it’s a matter of institutional trust.
The Government has promised to deliver a full remuneration review proposal by 29 September. Until then, the divide between those in uniform and those in ministry corridors remains sharp — and unresolved.
