On November 17, 2025, the atmosphere outside Portugal’s Ministry of Labor in Lisbon was tense but determined. Members of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), the country’s largest union, filed into the ministry’s offices to formally deliver notice of a general strike set for December 11. This move, which had been anticipated for days, marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict over the government’s proposed labor reforms—and it’s quickly drawing in a broad coalition of workers, including the powerful nurses’ union.
According to Portugal Pulse, CGTP’s general secretary Tiago Oliveira was unequivocal as he addressed journalists: “Our focus is on organizing a grand general strike for December 11.” He made it clear that, despite suggestions from other unions, CGTP would not commit to a two-day strike, at least for now. “We will always explore and assess new strategies to defeat the labor package,” Oliveira said, but stressed that the union’s current priority is a single, unified day of protest.
The spark for this labor unrest is a sweeping set of reforms proposed by the government, which unions say threaten to roll back decades of hard-won workers’ rights. The controversy began when the government announced its labor package without first reaching any agreement with the country’s main syndicates. This unilateral approach has only deepened the sense of mistrust and galvanized opposition across the public sector.
One of the most vocal critics has been the Portuguese Nurses’ Union (SEP), which announced on November 17 that nurses would join the December 11 strike. In a statement cited by Portugal Resident, SEP declared: “On December 11, nurses in the public sector will also protest against the Collective Work Agreement proposed by the health ministry which seeks to save money at nurses’ cost.” The union’s grievances are extensive. The proposed agreement, they argue, would impose flexitime and adaptability, strip away extra pay for night shifts, weekends, and holidays—the so-called “arduous hours”—and make it harder for nurses to advance in their careers. Even more worrying for SEP is the way the package would affect the daily routines of healthcare professionals: time spent passing on vital information about hospitalized patients would no longer count as working time, a change they say could compromise patient care and safety.
But the nurses’ concerns don’t stop there. SEP warns that the labor package as a whole “facilitates dismissals, eliminates reinstatement in cases of unlawful dismissal, and makes fixed-term contracts more flexible, meaning that, in extreme cases, workers may never be guaranteed a permanent contract.” The union’s statement, as reported by Portugal Resident, also highlights the “deregulation of working hours and the generalization of individual time banks, the attack on the right to strike, the weakening of trade union action, as well as the reduction of maternity and parental rights and the reduction of guarantees in collective bargaining.”
For many in Portugal, these reforms recall the darkest days of the country’s financial crisis, when the so-called “troika” of international lenders imposed harsh austerity measures. The last time CGTP and the General Workers Union (UGT) joined forces for a general strike was in June 2013, at the height of that crisis. The fact that the two unions are now standing shoulder to shoulder again is a sign, observers say, of just how serious the current situation is.
UGT, traditionally seen as more moderate and open to negotiation with employers, has taken an unusually combative stance. Speaking to Antena 1 and Jornal de Negócios, UGT’s general secretary Mário Mourão warned that if the government does not reconsider its proposal, “we have to think about scheduling two days of strike, instead of just one.” For Mourão, the government’s approach has left the unions little choice: “It is the moment now for the government to stop, listen and reflect.”
CGTP’s Tiago Oliveira, meanwhile, has been dismissive of government claims that the unions are refusing to negotiate. “We attend all meetings we are invited to and are ready to discuss and evaluate everything the government puts on the table,” Oliveira told Portugal Pulse. He emphasized that CGTP has not received any new proposal from the government since the initial draft was presented at the end of July. “The only proposal on the table was the initial one presented by the government at the end of July,” he said, lamenting what he described as the government’s disregard for the union’s concerns and suggestions.
Oliveira also issued a pointed warning about the dangers of partial concessions. While the government has reportedly offered to reverse its proposal to simplify dismissals—a key “red line” for the unions—Oliveira insisted that this was not enough. “We will not accept reversing one issue while allowing the rest of the 98 or 99 issues in this labor package, which contains over 100 issues, to remain, as all of them are deeply detrimental to workers,” he said. “Workers would neither forgive nor understand a union that signs any document allowing reversal of a point or two, while the remaining 98 or 99 points entail a complete regression in their lives.”
The government, for its part, has so far shown little sign of backing down. Officials argue that the reforms are necessary to modernize Portugal’s labor market and make the country more competitive. Yet, as the December 11 strike approaches, pressure is mounting from all sides. Grassroots support for the strike is growing rapidly, with more and more unions signaling their intention to join the walkout. For many, it’s about more than just pay or working conditions—it’s a fight over the future direction of Portugal’s social model.
The coming weeks will be critical. If the government presses ahead without significant changes, the general strike could become a turning point in Portuguese labor relations, with repercussions far beyond the immediate dispute. As the nurses’ union put it, the seriousness of the proposed changes “requires that nurses in the public, private and social sectors join all workers in rejecting them.”
For now, all eyes are on December 11. With CGTP and UGT united for the first time in over a decade, and with support from crucial sectors like healthcare, the stage is set for a major showdown between the government and organized labor. The outcome could shape Portuguese work life for years to come.
