Portugal public sector strike disrupts schools and hospitals

A widespread strike by approximately 350,000 public administration workers in Portugal has caused significant disruptions to essential services, including education, healthcare, and municipal operations.

In the education sector, numerous schools have closed or are operating with limited staff. In Lisbon, some schools remained open while others closed or faced reduced capacity due to a lack of technical assistants. In the Alto Alentejo region, several school clusters and centers were completely shut down. In Vila Nova de Gaia, 15 out of 18 school groups were closed at the start of the day.

Healthcare services have also been impacted, with scheduled surgeries and consultations postponed at major hospitals such as Hospital de Santa Maria and Hospital Pulido Valente. Municipal services, including waste collection in certain areas, have seen reduced availability due to high strike participation.

Thousands of protesters marched to the Ministry of Finance to demand salary increases and the revocation of the SIADAP performance evaluation system, which workers claim prevents career progression and keeps salaries stagnant. Labor leaders have called for urgent negotiations with the government before the State Budget is finalized.