Prison technicians in Porto stage strike over pay disparities
Technicians working for Portugal’s Direção-Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais (DGRSP) walked out on 6 October 2026 in a full solidarity strike at the Estabelecimento Prisional do Porto, demanding urgent revisions to their professional and financial conditions. The action, organised by the Sindicato dos Técnicos da DGRSP (SinDGRSP), followed the publication of a government decree on 16 September that revised career structures but left key demands unmet.
What the September decree failed to deliver
While the portaria introduced updates to career progression for technical staff, it set the risk supplement at just 185€ per month—a figure the union says falls far short of the actual dangers and responsibilities involved in prison work. The situation is worsened by wide discrepancies: some technicians receive as little as 120€, while others in similar roles get 200€. Meanwhile, prison guards performing comparable high-risk duties are often paid 450€, creating what the union calls a "systemic imbalance."
The five demands driving the strike
The SinDGRSP has not called for bonuses, but for structural justice. Its core demands are:
• Creation of a dedicated technical career path with clear promotion criteria, distinct from administrative roles
• Harmonisation of all risk supplements across the DGRSP to ensure equal pay for equal danger
• A 450€ risk supplement, aligned with what prison guards receive
• A housing allowance to offset rental costs, particularly for staff posted far from their homes
• Opening all positions to external recruitment, ending internal promotion barriers that restrict mobility
According to union data, many technicians spend over 40% of their net income on rent in cities like Porto and Lisbon—costs not offset by state housing support. "We don’t ask for luxury," said one technician. "We ask to be paid fairly for work that no one else wants to do."
Government response: No immediate reopening of talks
Minister of Justice Rita Alarcão Júdice acknowledged the workers" frustration but confirmed the September decree reflects the final agreed text. She indicated there is no plan to reopen negotiations until the 2027 budget cycle. The SinDGRSP, however, has scheduled a meeting with the President of the Republic on 8 October, hoping to elevate the issue beyond ministerial-level deadlock.
A broken system, under national scrutiny
This strike is part of a broader pattern of unrest in Portugal’s correctional system. Guard unions at facilities like Custóias and Vale de Judeus have repeatedly protested understaffing, lack of safety equipment, and chronic delays in salary adjustments. Technicians—who manage rehabilitation programs, escort inmates, coordinate mental health services, and oversee reintegration—are now speaking up as the invisible frontline.
Portugal is unusual in Europe for having explicit discussions around risk supplements and housing allowances for prison staff. In France, Spain, and Italy, similar roles typically operate under broader public service pay scales without separate compensation categories for risk or accommodation. Portugal’s model, blending security with social reintegration, has created a unique gap: professionals who manage high-risk environments but are treated as support staff.
The SinDGRSP calls this strike not an endpoint, but the start of a longer campaign. "We are not protesting for more money," the union stated. "We are demanding recognition that our work saves lives—and that must be reflected in our pay, our title, and our future."
185€ – Current risk supplement for DGRSP technicians450€ – Amount demanded; what prison guards receive6 October 2026 – Date of full-strike action16 September 2026 – Date of contested portaria published8 October 2026 – Meeting scheduled with President of the Republic
