Portugal's Labour Law Reform Moves Forward Amid Political Talks
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated on Wednesday that it is not yet time to favor or exclude any parliamentary group in negotiations over labor reform, following the far-right Chega party's expressed willingness to engage—on the condition that the retirement age be lowered.
Chega leader André Ventura has already signaled his party's readiness to negotiate with the government on labor reform, even forming a delegation for this purpose, while insisting on a reduction in the retirement age as one of his demands.
When questioned by journalists, Montenegro emphasized that he would await the "final position" of social partners, scheduled to be presented on May 7 during a meeting of the standing committee for social dialogue.
"Until then, we will focus all our efforts on a process that has indeed been lengthy but one we consider extremely important—consultation at the level of social partners," he said.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the 38th International Agricultural Fair of Estremoz (FIAPE), which runs until Sunday at the city's exhibition grounds in the Évora district, Montenegro explained that once social dialogue is complete, the next step will be a phase of "sharing and presenting" the proposal in the Assembly of the Republic (AR).
"I have always said that afterward, there will be a moment to share and present the proposal in the Assembly of the Republic and, naturally, to engage in parliamentary negotiations—because the final decision rests with the deputies in the AR," he noted.
"And so, at that stage, we will assess the proposal with all parliamentary groups. I do not want to privilege any or exclude any at this point," he added.
The prime minister also stressed that updating and modernizing labor legislation is key to building "a more productive, more competitive country that pays better wages."
"This is the framework—the government's goal in labor legislation is to boost productivity, competitiveness, and wages," he underscored.
When pressed by journalists about remarks made by President António José Seguro, who on election night warned of potential difficulties in enacting the law if no agreement was reached in social dialogue, Montenegro pointed out that the process has "not even" reached parliament yet.
"All the more reason, since we haven't even reached the parliamentary stage, let alone the promulgation phase, so I won't be commenting on that," he said.
"We are approaching this process, this discussion and consultation procedure, with a strong sense of responsibility. We do not want to undermine workers' rights, nor do we want to stifle the economy's ability to become more competitive. What we seek is balance, what we seek is careful consideration, and what we want is for everyone to come out ahead in the end," he concluded.
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