The Secretary General of the PCP defended this Monday that the Portuguese “can no longer tolerate” price increases, once again asking for a wage increase and blaming the PS and the right to favor economic groups.
In a speech at the public session “General increase in wages, reforms and pensions, necessary response” organized by the PCP in Lisbon, Paulo Raimundo argued that increasing income is the “measure needed today”.
“We can no longer tolerate the increase in interest rates and the cost of living, we can no longer tolerate the propaganda that we are confronted with every day. We live in two countries: the land of propaganda and the land of the harsh reality of everyone’s lives. one of us,” said Paulo Raimundo.
For the Secretary General of the PCP “it is not acceptable that the so-called correct accounts and the so-called good economic results always [alcançados] at the expense of difficulties, sacrifices and cuts for those who work”.
“It is necessary to say that enough is enough and it is necessary to say that enough is enough by imposing the fundamental issue that arises at this moment, namely the general and significant increase in salaries: it is for well-being of the collective life of all. one of us,” he insisted.
According to Paulo Raimundo, this increase is the “most structuring and decisive measure for improving living conditions, for the evolution of the economic situation, for retaining and attracting professionals, for stimulating the internal market, (…) to close the deficit to combat labor, emigration as the only way out, injustice and inequality, to guarantee the qualitative leap the country needs.”
In this context, Paulo Raimundo stated that the PCP will follow and fight for a wage increase “by 15% and at least 150 euros for all workers” as demanded by the CGTP.
The communist leader also recalled that the PCP has introduced a bill in the Assembly of the Republic so that the national minimum wage will be set at 910 euros from January 1 and will reach 1,000 euros in 2024.
Paulo Raimundo emphasized that by raising wages it will be possible to “improve the living conditions (…) of millions of people” and wondered who “is trying to prevent, hold back or delay this important measure” .
“We know this very well: these are the basic political options of the PS, PSD, Chega, IL and CDS,” criticized Paulo Raimundo, regretting that in proposals such as lowering taxes for workers, these parties come together to “protect economic interests to defend”. groups”.
‘They can shout, make gestures, pretend to be angry with each other, they can even cry crocodile tears about the low wages. The truth is that when the moment of truth comes, and when necessary, they all come together to block the way for the measures for the workers,” he accused.
The communist leader believed that “it is the economic groups that really benefit from the current situation” and that they “feel the effects of the good indicators and pay the right bills.”
Faced with this scenario, the PCP general secretary called for the mobilization of workers to force the executive to take “urgent and necessary measures,” arguing that it was the struggle that led the government to take a number of measures , albeit insufficient, to respond to the problems. the increase in the cost of living.
Source: DN
