Workers in distribution companies are starting a two-day strike today for wage updates, which APED says will not cause “significant disruption”, but the union representing them is opposed.
Last week, the Service Sector Workers’ Union (Sitese) announced a strike at distribution companies on December 23 and 24, in protest at the failure to update the pay scale, despite the “very profitable” year.
“How is it possible that after what has already been a very profitable year, APED says that companies in the sector refuse to negotiate improvements in the working and living conditions of their workers? How is it possible that the companies and their representatives want to maintain the injustices that occur daily in the workplace, with unduly accumulated functions, disrespect for seniority, disorganized schedules, time off and vacations?” the union said in a statement.
Considering this position of the distribution companies an “almost provocative attitude” that “forces the workers to fight”, Sitese says it has sent the government and the social partners advance notice of a strike in the companies affiliated to APED for December 23 and 24.
On Friday, Sitese reported that some distribution companies have made individual contacts with workers about increases and bonuses, fearing the impact of the weekend strike.
“We don’t have an estimate of the number of participants in the strike, but we’re very optimistic and we’ve seen that some companies are moving directly with their workers in the days leading up to the strike, precisely because they’re worried that there will be a considerable turnout,” the president of the union’s board, Pedro Lopes, told Lusa at the time.
According to the union, some companies in the sector have presented internal proposals for wage increases and announced the distribution of bonuses.
However, Pedro Lopes noted that these bonuses are generally “far below” the results of these companies and therefore do not bring any improvement to the quality of life of workers “not even in the short term”.
On the other hand, the fact that negotiations are not carried out at sector level exacerbates the asymmetries between workers.
A day earlier, the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED) told Lusa that it did not expect “significant disruption” as a result of the workers’ strike.
In response, the president of the Sitese board said today that APED does not want to “cause alarm”, adding that this position has already been taken in other strikes.