The PCP opined on Tuesday that the CIP’s proposal to the government, called a “social pact”, is a “propaganda action” and reveals an “attack on social security”, arguing that it is necessary “to to increase salaries’.
“This propaganda action by the Portuguese Business Federation (CIP) reveals an attack on social security and that is what must be denounced,” PCP parliamentary leader Paula Santos said, speaking to Lusa after a meeting in the Assembly of the Republic with CGTP.
The PCP parliamentary leader defended that “there is money to increase salaries,” as this is a central issue for national development, in addition to the “strengthening of workers’ rights and the repeal of serious labor law standards.”
“There is a need, there are conditions to increase salaries. Of course, we cannot make any attack on social security and we oppose it,” he said.
On Monday, CGTP general secretary Isabel Camarinha argued that the CIP proposal “does not guarantee an increase in salaries, but rather grants a bonus that is also exempt from social security contributions, and therefore has no impact on the career as a contributor.” .
“It is the salary that needs to be increased and not other tricks that could endanger the social security system,” the union leader emphasized.
Last Tuesday, Isabel Camarinha indicated in statements to Lusa that the meeting with the PCP is part of a series of meetings with parliamentary groups and served to present the demands of the CGTP for 2024, where the “general wage increase is the priority of priorities” .
“That is what we brought to the PCP faction: our proposals for a minimum increase of 15 percent [dos salários] and a guarantee of at least 150 euros for all employees, guaranteeing an increase in salaries, but also in careers and professions,” he said.
In addition to this increase, the CGTP also wants the national minimum wage to rise to 910 euros in January 2024, to reach 1,000 euros by the end of the year, as the PCP proposed in a draft resolution to be debated in parliament on October 14. .
Isabel Camarinha rejected that salaries cannot be increased for productivity reasons, claiming that the twenty largest national companies and economic groups “made a profit of 25 million euros per day” in the first half of 2023.
“This clearly shows that there is no problem here of not producing wealth; it has to do with options that favor capital and increasingly disadvantage workers and large parts of the population,” he said, indicating “strong acceptance” of the PCP’s share of the CGTP proposals.
Paula Santos, in turn, stated that the PCP follows the CGTP’s demand for an increase of at least 15% for all salaries, and of at least 150 euros, recalling that the communist proposal for the national minimum wage coincides with the proposal of the syndicate.
“It is a decisive issue: we live in times of deteriorating living conditions, high prices, the deterioration of public services, housing costs continue to rise… And at the same time there are economic groups and sectors such as banking, large distribution, the energy sector , with colossal profits,” he said.
Last week, the CIP proposed to the government the so-called ‘Social Pact’ with 30 measures, including the voluntary payment by companies of the 15th month to employees who are exempt from premiums and taxes.
The employers’ federation also proposed a salary increase of 14.75% of salaries in 2024 and 2025 with a temporary reduction in the Single Social Tax (TSU). Of this amount, the salary increase would amount to 4.75% and the remaining 10% would go to an individual pension scheme.
Source: DN
