Portugal ground to a near halt this week as the country’s largest unions joined forces for a massive general strike, disrupting travel, shuttering schools, and stalling public services in a dramatic show of opposition to the government’s proposed labor reforms. The strike, which began on December 11, 2025, was called by the General Workers’ Union (UGT) and the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), representing close to a million workers. It marks the first time in over a decade that the two major labor groups have united for such an action, underscoring the depth of discontent with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s center-right government.
Downtown Lisbon was a ghost town compared to a typical weekday. Pedestrians were few and traffic was light, as many people either joined the strike or chose to work from home to avoid the chaos. The usually bustling Lisbon international airport was eerily quiet, with dozens of flights canceled and check-in counters deserted. According to EFE, TAP Air Portugal operated only about a third of its scheduled flights, while Air Europa canceled all 16 of its connections to Portugal on Thursday. The airport’s head of the Union of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, Jorge Alves, described the day as “completely atypical in terms of movement because the airlines have been careful to cancel flights in advance (because of the strike).”
Public transportation across the country was hit especially hard. The Lisbon Metro suspended all services from 11 p.m. on December 10, with operations only resuming on the morning of December 12. Bus and train services ran skeleton schedules, and middle- and long-distance trains across Portugal were at a standstill. Even private companies felt the effects, with manufacturing and distribution firms reporting significant walkouts. Some Lisbon stores simply closed their doors for the day.
The disruption extended well beyond travel. Medical appointments were canceled, and schools across Portugal—especially in the Lisbon metropolitan area—remained closed as teachers joined the protest. According to the National Federation of Teachers (FENPROF), there was “significant adherence of teachers here in the metropolitan area of Lisbon, which is where there is the highest concentration of teachers and students,” as general secretary Jose Feliciano Costa told EFE. He added, “The teachers have clearly understood what is on the table, which is a proposal for the Labor Code that is very aggressive, of great setback in the rights of workers, with direct implications for teachers and their career.”
The health sector also saw overwhelming support for the strike, with more than 90 percent participation according to Andre Gomes, president of the South Zone Doctors’ Union. “Only the minimum services are working,” Gomes told EFE at Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, emphasizing that urgent medical situations would still be addressed. Emergency departments, palliative care, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine treatments continued to function at a basic level, but most non-emergency procedures were postponed.
The roots of this unrest lie in the government’s proposed changes to Portugal’s labor laws—reforms that unions argue would strip workers of key protections. The package, expected to pass with support from the far-right Chega party, includes measures to make it easier for companies to fire workers, denies the right to strike in additional sectors, and limits breastfeeding breaks for mothers to the first two years of a child’s life, down from the current open-ended dispensation. It also lifts outsourcing limits and eases dismissals in small businesses, affecting more than 100 articles of the labor code, according to Reuters.
Unions have been unequivocal in their condemnation. “We are seeing workers demand that the government withdraw this labor (reform) package,” Tiago Oliveira, head of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers, told the Associated Press. “The strike says a lot about the government’s attack and this is the response of the workers.” Oliveira further warned, as quoted by EFE, “We are talking about increasing precariousness, deregulation of working hours, facilitating dismissals, attacking the right to strike, this is what is on the table and to this attack there is an answer that is the struggle of the workers.”
On December 12, the protest spilled into the streets, with several thousand demonstrators marching toward the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon, amplifying the pressure on Prime Minister Montenegro’s administration. The government, for its part, has tried to downplay the impact. António Leitão Amaro, Minister for the Cabinet, insisted, “Most Portuguese are at work.” Prime Minister Montenegro himself called the strike “senseless,” arguing that the country’s economic performance does not justify such drastic action.
Indeed, by some measures, Portugal’s economy is on solid footing. The European Commission expects GDP growth of around 2% for 2025, above the EU average of 1.4%. Unemployment is under 6%, roughly in line with the broader European Union. Yet, these macroeconomic indicators mask underlying tensions. Portugal remains one of the EU’s poorest countries, with an average monthly wage of about 1,600 euros ($1,870) before tax, and a minimum wage of 870 euros ($1,018) before tax. Many Portuguese are grappling with a housing and cost of living crisis, as property prices soar and inflation hovers just above 2%.
The current labor dispute is not just about paychecks or work schedules—it’s a reflection of deep social divisions over economic policy in a country still shaped by the memory of the harsh austerity measures imposed during the 2011–2014 bailout program. That period, overseen by the so-called Troika of the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund, left scars that have yet to fully heal. The last general strike in Portugal was in 2013, at the height of those austerity years.
For many, the government’s reliance on the far-right Chega party to push through the reforms is another source of anxiety, raising questions about political realignment and the normalization of Chega’s role in Portuguese policymaking. As Reuters notes, the battle over labor law highlights not only the tension between Portugal’s strong macroeconomic performance and worker demands for security, but also mirrors broader debates across the European Union about how to balance flexibility and protection in a competitive global market.
There are real stakes for Portugal’s future. Sustained union opposition could stall the government’s legislative agenda or even trigger early elections. Prolonged labor unrest may also undermine Portugal’s reputation as a stable destination for foreign investment, especially in manufacturing. And as the dispute drags on, it risks widening the gap between permanent and precarious workers, as well as deepening generational divides.
As the dust settles on this week’s strike, one thing is clear: the battle over Portugal’s labor laws is far from over. The coming weeks will test the resolve of both the government and the unions—and may well shape the country’s economic and political trajectory for years to come.
