Lisbon, May 21, 2026 (Lusa) – The Portuguese Union of Architectural Workers will join the general strike, scheduled for 3 June, against the draft labour bill, described as a serious setback and a direct attack.

“The union is calling on all architecture workers to join the general strike on 3 June,” it announced in a statement on Thursday.

The union said the labour package represented a serious setback and a direct attack on workers’ rights, leading to greater instability and fewer rights.

The CGTP (General Confederation of Portuguese Workers) has submitted a general strike notice for 3 June to protest against changes to labour laws, following the collapse of negotiations with the government.

Last week, the government approved the draft labour bill at a cabinet meeting, which will now be debated in parliament.

The announcement was made by the labour minister, Rosário Palma Ramalho, at a press conference, a week after the government declared that negotiations on changes to labour legislation had concluded without agreement, following talks between the government, unions and employers.

The union said that the document the government approved does not alter the initial assumptions, maintaining an agenda geared towards employers’ interests.

It also said that the sector’s future should be based on stability and improved working conditions, rather than low wages, unpaid overtime or false notions of flexibility. PE/MYAL // ADB.

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