During a joint press conference as part of the state visit to Portugal by the President of Romania, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was questioned by journalists about the 2024 state budget (OE2024). He said only that it will now be formally presented in parliament, which plans to “listen to the political parties within a few days, as usual, on the government’s proposal.”
Regarding the Income Improvement Agreement signed today by the Government with the social partners, from which CGTP and CIP are omitted, the President of the Republic considered that “it is important that there was an agreement”, emphasizing that he “is a defender of social dialogue”.
However, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized that “it was a partial agreement”.
“They were left out – which has happened in the past, it was the normal situation in the past – a trade union confederation and an employers’ federation and a trade union confederation and several employers’ federations were left out,” he said.
In Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s analysis, what happened this year was “essentially a repeat of what had been experienced in 2022 and was therefore not particularly surprising”.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, emphasized today that the strengthening of the income improvement agreement signed today provides for increases in wages and the competitiveness of companies, confirming the “centrality of social dialogue as a fundamental pillar of democratic life”.
The government today signed an agreement with the central union União Geral de Trabalhadores (UGT) and with the employers’ organizations Confederation of Peasants of Portugal (CAP), Confederation of Trade and Services of Portugal (CCP) and Confederation of Tourism of Portugal (CTP). Strengthening the medium-term agreement to improve incomes, wages and competitiveness, in particular increasing the value of the national minimum wage to EUR 820 for next year.
The signing of this agreement – which takes place days before the presentation to parliament, on Tuesday, of the proposal for the 2024 state budget (OE2024) – left out the CGTP (which had no longer signed the pact signed last year) . now revised) and the CIP.
Source: DN
