Lisbon, Dec. 3, 2024 (Lusa) - The Portuguese government has suspended a negotiation meeting with representatives of the professional firefighters scheduled for Tuesday, as it considers that security conditions have not been met due to the ongoing demonstration outside the building in Lisbon.

"The government is immediately suspending the negotiation meeting with representatives of the professional firefighters, as it does not accept negotiating in the face of non-orderly forms of demonstration," said a government source in a note sent to Lusa, as hundreds of firefighters demonstrated outside the government headquarters.

At least three hundred professional (i.e. salaried as opposed to volunteer) firefighters are gathered outside the government headquarters in Lisbon to protest, to the sound of shouts and firecrackers, at what they classify as a ‘lack of respect’ for their profession.

"Safety conditions are not at issue at the moment. Negotiations can resume if and when respect for dialogue and tranquillity in exercising the right to demonstrate are guaranteed," the government source said.

The professional firefighters' demonstration began in Alvalade and the group, all in uniform and many wearing helmets, walked along Avenida de Roma at a slow pace, shouting slogans against the government and firing firecrackers and smoke.

Around the Campus XXI building, where the seat of government is located, there had been a strong presence of the authorities since 8am, including several vans from the Special Police Unit.

On Avenida Joao XXI, the firefighters ran in disarray and stopped next to the building shouting ‘professional firefighters’ and ‘we demand respect’.

The group went to the back of Campus XXI, where there was another gathering, with several firecrackers thrown at the closed doors of the building.

In the demonstration, always with the slogan #sapadores em luta (#firefighters in struggle), several banners could be seen with phrases such as "While we save lives the government plays with ours" or "We are heroes of the people forgotten by the government".

"Since 2 October, the government said it was going to do everything to improve our pay, which has been unfrozen since 2002," recalled firefighter Ricardo Ribeiro, considering that the government's proposals "have been offensive".

Among the measures put forward by the Executive, Ricardo Ribeiro condemned the proposal to ‘lower the gross entry salary’ in the career, or the allocation of a monthly risk allowance of €37.5, "which is completely offensive", or the reduction from seven to five professional firefighter posts and instead of a 35-hour week a 36-hour week.

"I don't think they're valuing the career of the professional firefighter," he accused, considering that "the government is bullying" and pushing the firefighters towards "more muscular forms of struggle".

Ricardo Ribeiro guaranteed that the fight will continue until they are heard, promising that they will never stop providing aid to the public.

SIM/AYLS // AYLS

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