Common Front accuses Government of intransigence in wage increases

O coordinator of the Common Front today accused the Government of “intransigence” for not submitting a proposal for wage increases to 2027 above the forecast and said that the allowances in the Public Administration cover “a minority of workers”.

At today's meeting, the Government undertook to move forward with a 5% increase in cost allowances in the Public Administration from November, but did not prove to be “sensitive” to wage increases to 2027 above expected, said the president of the STE, the first union structure to be received today by the Government.

The information was confirmed by the coordinator of the Common Front. “The government sits at the third meeting of the annual general negotiation without any proposal for a salary change in relation to an impoverishment agreement which it signed with the other two trade union structures,” Sebastião Santana said at the end of the meeting.

Accusing the Government of “intransigence” and not wanting to negotiate, the leader of the Common Front promised “an answer” of the workers in the Public Administration strike scheduled for November 20.

Asked whether it is out of the question for the government to go ahead with wage increases for the coming year above the EUR 2.3% or EUR 60.52 provided for in the multi-annual agreement, Sebastião Santana said that on the part of the executive he was told that he “does not have this hypothesis considered”.

As for the 5% increase in advanced cost allowances, the Common Front said that it is “a diversion maneuver” as they are “an absolute minority of workers who in the public administration receive subsistence allowances” and therefore have a reduced budgetary impact.

“It is a proposal that is not only insufficient. It is absolutely revealing what the Government’s intention for public administration is”, he said.

Sebastião Santana also said that they will still consider whether they will proceed with an additional request for a meeting, after the government has “became aware” that this would be the last meeting in this negotiating process.

In addition to increases of 2.30%, with a minimum of EUR 60.52 in 2027, the multiannual agreement provides that the remuneration base for public administration will rise from the current EUR 934.99 to EUR 995.51 in 2027.

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

The Common Front advocates a salary increase of not less than 15%, a minimum of EUR 150, for all workers and an increase in the remuneration base of the Public Administration to EUR 1,150, with effect from 1 January 2027.

The structure led by Sebastião Santana, affects CGTP, also requires an increase in the meal allowance to 13 euros.