The union representing consular workers abroad on Monday accused the Portuguese state of keeping these workers in Qatar under the same conditions as other immigrants, who deserved so much attention in relation to the 2022 World Cup.
“It is unacceptable for a country like Portugal, a member of the European Union,” said the deputy secretary general of the Union of Consular Workers, Diplomatic Missions and Central Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (STCDE).
Alexandre Vieira spoke about the strike that this union has declared for consular posts, embassies, diplomatic missions and cultural centers of Portugal abroad, between December 5, 2022 and January 12, 2023.
To Qatar, where three employees work at the Portuguese embassy, two more employees were temporarily deployed, who were in Denmark and Moscow, to support the community traveling there to watch the 2022 World Cup football matches.
According to Alexandre Vieira, the strike will paralyze these services and the Portuguese who need some help will not be able to count on it.
The trade unionist recalled that there is no shortage of reasons for these workers to join the protest, as they don’t even have social security or health insurance.
“What is in the media, what is coming out in the international media and even in the Portuguese, that workers from Sri Lanka, from India, are there and are being exploited and have no health insurance, nor the right to retire, our workers, three of whom are present, also have no health insurance or pension insurance,” he said.
And he added: “Qatar has no social security. In Qatar, as in the Emirates and other wealthy countries, social security is private. If you want health care, you have to get health insurance, if you want to retire, you have to take out pension insurance, if you want accident insurance, you have to take out accident insurance. If you don’t have money to pay, you die”.
The situation of Portuguese MNE workers in Qatar “is identical” to that of immigrant workers in this country who have no rights, which has caused so many complaints and accusations against the state of Qatar, he continued.
“The only problem is that they work for the Portuguese state, which should provide that [direitos] as a member of the European Union and as if it were normal,” he added.
Alexandre Vieira related the case of a colleague in this country who had to leave because she wanted to get pregnant and had no maternity insurance, nor the means to pay for help in a private hospital, after eventually going to Beijing and then to London.
“In Qatar, health and social security are private,” he said, adding: “If you get to the hospital because you’re sick, you broke your leg, because you fell, if you don’t have insurance they send you away go and die somewhere else”.
Source: DN
