Portugal Minister Says Majority Working Amid Nationwide General Strike

Labour Minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho said that "the overwhelming majority of Portuguese are working" on the day a general strike was called by the CGTP. She reported that private‑sector participation was minimal, with factories in textiles, footwear and metalworking still operating, and that tourism, commerce, freight transport and private hospitals faced no disruption. In the public sector, transport and education were the most affected; about 40 % of students missed a Portuguese language exam.

Former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, speaking at the Lisbon Book Fair, urged a nationwide mobilisation of unions, businesses and the state to raise Portugal’s productivity. He cited a new European Commission report highlighting Portugal’s chronic productivity gap and called for policies to help workers adapt to technological change. Both officials linked their statements to the strike day, framing it as a moment for broader economic reform.