Portuguese Unions Strike Against Austerity Thursday June 27,2013

Portuguese trade unions on Thursday  June 27,2013 embarked on a 24-hour general strike against the government’s austerity policies under an international bailout programme, which they blame for recession and unemployment.

The strike called by the CGTP and the UGT Union was the fourth general strike faced by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho since he became prime minister in 2011.

Armenio Carlos, the leader of the main trade union confederation CGTP, said Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho’s austerity policies had destroyed 300,000 jobs in two years.

Note

The Portuguese Govt has drastically cut social spending, reformed the labour market and launched a privatization programme in agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, which granted Lisbon a bailout worth 78 billion euros (101 billion dollars) in 2011.

The Portuguese Govt is trying to trim the budget deficit to 5.5 % of gross domestic product from 6.4 % in 2012.

The economy is expected to shrink by over 2 % in 2013 while unemployment has climbed to 18 %.

The bailout programme has come under growing criticism even from members of Pedro Passos Coelho’s own party, who have called for policies to foster growth and employment.