The National Commission for Justice and Peace (CNJP) warned this Monday that “the salary of many Portuguese workers does not enable them to overcome poverty”.
For the CNJP, a body dependent on the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP), “changing this situation must be a genuine national goal that mobilizes civil society and political authorities”.
“Entrepreneurs and employees must make efforts to improve productivity and professional training. But the Valuing wages also depends on a fairer distribution of income, on using a larger share of these incomes to work”, defended the Commission, chaired by Pedro Vaz Patto, in a note on the conference to be held in Lisbon on January 21, on the theme “Fair wages against poverty — Christian workers and entrepreneurs in dialogue”.
For the CNJP, it is important to “underline the importance of this dialogue between Christian workers and entrepreneurs”, assuming that “the common inspiration in the principles of the Church’s social teaching can translate into certain forms of consensus”.
“The principles of the Church’s social teaching are of paramount importance, which should inspire the theme of fair wages as a way of overcoming poverty. These principles are based on the primacy of the person. The economy, business and the work should serve people, not the opposite. The fairness of the salary does not necessarily follow from the agreement of the parties and the rules of the market,” added the statement released this Monday.
This is reported by the National Commission for Justice and Peace. “creating and preserving jobs is a way of realizing the social function of private property and the universal destination of goods. In the fight against poverty, the creation of decently paid jobs is fundamental, more than granting government subsidies”.
The annual CNJP conference will take place from 9:30 am on Saturday at the Franciscan Cultural Center, in partnership with Cáritas Portuguesa, the Christian Workers Movement (LOC-MTC), Catholic Workers’ Youth (JOC), the Christian Association of Entrepreneurs and Managers ( ACEGE), Rural Catholic Action (ACR) and the Catholic Professionals Movement (Metanoia).
“Adequate income in Portugal” and “Fair wages against poverty” will be two of the topics discussed in the works opened by the Bishop of Santarém and President of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral and Human Mobility, José Traquina.
Source: DN
