The Justice Department (MJ) on Friday justified the request for advice to the Advisory Board of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) on the ongoing strike by the Union of Judicial Personnel (SFJ) with the “atypical configuration” of the strike.
In a clarifying note, the cabinet of the Minister of Justice, Catarina Sarmento e Castro, states that “in the situation in question, the MJ considered that the atypical configuration of the ongoing strike declared by the SFJ was justified, especially in a perspective on clarifying the effects thereof on the employment situation of the affiliated employees, the request for advice to the Advisory Council of the PGR as the legally competent body for this ruling”.
In the same note, the MJ reiterates that “the right to strike is a constitutional right” and that “it has held several meetings with trade union structures, within the framework of the dialogue that has guided its relationship with the trade unions representing justice workers”.
However, the Ministry of Justice points out that the right to strike, as a constitutionally guaranteed right of workers, “must, however, be exercised in accordance with the regime laid down by law for this purpose, since only in this way can effective protection of workers be ensured”. employees who adhere to it”.
On Thursday, SFJ president António Marçal said he was “strange” about the government’s initiative to ask the PGR’s Advisory Board for advice instead of responding to the allegations.
The SFJ leader said the government’s priority should be “to end the strike, give an adequate response to the demands” of the justice officials and not “give a signal that there is a turning point” in negotiations on various issues . .
As for the opinion of the PGR Consultative Council resulting from this request from the MJ, António Marçal said that it is only “an opinion” and if it is finally approved by the government, the union will know how to respond “legally “. “.
Among the demands of the SFJ, according to the union leader, the issue of integrating the procedural surcharge into the salaries of bailiffs is of paramount importance, especially since this amount has already been provided for in two state budgets and has even been the subject of a resolution by the Assembly of the Republic.
The question of access and training competitions, the freezing of careers, the salary scale and the problem of the shortage of workers (estimated at about 1,200) are other matters that concern the SFJ, which has scheduled on March 23 to resume negotiations on the statute of the class, in a meeting with the Deputy Secretary of State and Justice, Jorge Alves.
Source: DN
