On the heels of sweeping labor reforms, workers and unions across India and Portugal are bracing for a season of protest, strikes, and heated negotiations, signaling a global wave of resistance to government-led changes in employment law. In both countries, a combination of new legislation and proposed reforms has triggered outrage among unions, with accusations of deception, threats to workers’ rights, and calls for mass mobilization dominating headlines in late November 2025.
In India, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has enacted four major labor codes—on wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety, health, and working conditions. These codes, approved by parliament five years ago, officially took effect this week, according to reporting by Deutsche Welle. The government’s stated aim is to modernize archaic regulations, some of which date back to British colonial rule, and to make the regulatory environment more attractive for investors. The Ministry of Labour claims that the reforms will "enhance workers' welfare and align the labour ecosystem with the evolving world of work," describing the move as laying "the foundation for a future-ready workforce and stronger, resilient industries driving labour reforms."
But not everyone is convinced. Ten of India’s largest trade unions, united under the banner of the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, issued a scathing statement late Friday, condemning the government’s actions as a "deceptive fraud committed against the working people of the nation." The unions have called for a nationwide protest on November 26, urging workers across all sectors to "rise in rage" and push back against what they see as anti-worker, pro-employer policies.
The heart of the unions’ objection lies in the perceived imbalance between protections and new flexibilities granted to employers. While the new codes do introduce social security and minimum wage benefits, they also make it easier for companies to hire and dismiss workers. This, the unions argue, undermines job security and collective bargaining power—issues that have sparked multiple nationwide protests over the past five years.
Business groups, meanwhile, are voicing their own concerns. The Association of Indian Entrepreneurs, as cited by Reuters, warned that the new rules could significantly increase costs for small and medium-sized enterprises, calling on New Delhi for transitional support. The reforms, they argue, risk squeezing the very businesses that form the backbone of India’s manufacturing sector—a sector the government is eager to expand as a pillar of economic growth.
Across the continent in Portugal, a similar drama is unfolding. On November 21, the country’s two largest union confederations, the CGTP and UGT, announced a general strike for December 11, 2025, in protest of the government’s proposed labor law reform. The UGT formally submitted its strike notice to the Ministry of Labor in Lisbon, but left the door open for dialogue. "We have submitted a strike notice, as decided by the UGT authorities for December 11. Until that date, we are fully open to dialogue and negotiation. We are completely willing to sit down at the table," said UGT Secretary-General Mário Mourão, speaking to journalists after delivering the notice. Mourão emphasized that the union could still withdraw the strike if the government agreed to substantive negotiations.
The upcoming strike has drawn support from a broad swath of Portugal’s workforce. At the 14th National Federation of Doctors Congress, participants unanimously approved a motion to join the action. Nurses, represented by the Portuguese Nurses Union, have also pledged to participate, citing concerns that the proposed labor package would precarize contracts and strip away hard-won benefits. The Civil Aviation Pilots Union is weighing its options, hoping the Minister of Labor will "take a step back to take two forward"—that is, to initiate proper negotiations rather than pushing ahead unilaterally. Teachers, journalists, construction workers, banking and technology employees, and even municipal staff in Lisbon have all signaled their intention to join the strike, describing the government’s labor package as a "civilizational regression" and an "attack on workers' rights."
Autoeuropa, one of Portugal’s largest industrial employers, has also announced that its workers will participate in the December 11 strike. The Autoeuropa Workers Commission described the proposed reforms as "an attack on workers’ rights," echoing the widespread sentiment among labor organizations that the government’s plan would weaken job security, undermine collective bargaining, and erode workplace protections.
These developments come as public administration workers in Portugal have already staged a major strike. On November 21, the National Federation of Independent Unions of Public Administration and Public Entities (Fesinap) reported an 80% participation rate in a 24-hour walkout that affected hospitals, schools, and private social solidarity institutions across the country. The strike, conducted with minimum services to ensure essential care, was a direct protest against the government’s labor package. Fesinap’s demands include the immediate withdrawal of the proposed labor reform, an urgent meeting with the government about the "Work XXI" reform, an end to what they call union discrimination by the executive branch, and effective participation in labor negotiations.
"Now, we are just waiting for 3pm, which is the shift rotation at the hospitals, to see what the final participation rate will be," said Mário Rui, director of Fesinap, reflecting the tense anticipation as union leaders monitor the scale and impact of the strike. The message from Fesinap and other unions is clear: workers want a seat at the table and a voice in shaping the future of labor law in Portugal.
The stakes are high in both India and Portugal. For governments, the challenge is to modernize labor law in ways that foster economic growth and attract investment, without alienating the very workers whose productivity underpins national prosperity. For unions and workers, the fight is about preserving hard-won rights and ensuring that reforms do not come at the expense of job security, fair wages, and workplace dignity.
As the November and December protests approach, all eyes will be on whether governments in New Delhi and Lisbon can find a compromise with organized labor—or whether these clashes will mark the beginning of a new era of industrial unrest. The coming weeks may well determine not just the fate of specific labor codes or reforms, but the broader trajectory of workers’ rights in two very different, yet strikingly similar, corners of the world.
With both sides digging in and the rhetoric heating up, one thing is certain: the debate over the future of work is far from settled.
