Fesap asks answers about wage increases and admits protests

O secretary-General of Fesap today expressed concern about the postponement to November of the government's responses to proposals for wage increases and meal allowance, admitting union protests if there is no progress.

In statements to journalists, at the end of the second meeting with Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and with the Secretary of State for Public Administration, Marisa Garrido, at the Ministry of Finance, in Lisbon, in the framework of the annual negotiation process, José Abraham lamented the lack of concrete responses to the demands of workers of the Public Administration.

“We left today [...] very worried”, said the trade union leader, considering that the meeting was marked by the postponement of decisions on matters of a financial nature, in particular wages and meal allowance, at a time when the increase in the cost of living pressured workers' incomes.

According to Joseph Abraham, the Government indicated that these questions may have an answer in the first or second week of November when the parties meet again.

The Federation of Public Administration Unions (Fesap) wants the executive to go beyond what is provided for in the current agreement, defending measures that prevent the loss of purchasing power and respond to the difficulties experienced by the workers.

“ We hope that the government can go further”, said Joseph Abraham, referring to the meal allowance, whose anticipated increase of 15 cents deemed insufficient to cope with rising prices.

The trade union leader also pointed out that the proposal to increase the minimum wage in the Public Administration to EUR 1,050 is not exaggerated, arguing that the Government should provide concrete answers to trade union demands.

“ If there is no answer, we will certainly have to re-equate everything that has been our stance so far ", warned, adding that the protests were never out of the picture and that the federation will not fail to give voice to the workers if they decide to fight for their demands.

The Secretary-General of Fesap also criticised the postponement of decisions on urgent matters, stressing that food and transport costs increased without an update of the allowances.

For the next meeting, Joseph Abraham expects the Government to make concrete proposals, not just a negotiating timetable, which will enable us to assess possible improvements to the existing agreement and avoid the deterioration of wages and the loss of purchasing power of public administration workers.

Fesap, affects the UGT, proposes that the remuneration base in public administration rises to 1,050 euros in 2027 and a minimum update of 6.5% or 95 euros for all workers.

The structure led by Joseph Abraham, like last year, again demands that the food allowance be increased to 10 euros a day, tax-free.

The new agreement in force dictates that the meal allowance, currently EUR 6,15, is increased by 15 cents per year by 2029.