Portugal's labor law reform sparks national education strike

Portugal's parliament is debating a sweeping labor law revision that proposes more than 100 amendments to the Labour Code. Legal experts say the changes will affect the private sector most, altering contracts, expanding fixed‑term limits, ending outsourcing restrictions and introducing human oversight of artificial‑intelligence tools in companies. The proposal also touches public‑sector rules such as strike‑notice periods and minimum‑service obligations.

The education union STOP has called a national teachers' strike for the day of the parliamentary debate, labeling the reform "a retrogression that is far too serious". The strike will not halt final‑assessment meetings or the national Biology and Geology exams but will join a broader mobilisation by the CGTP‑IN. This follows two earlier general strikes over the same reform, one in December and another on June 3.

The labour package has progressed to the parliament without an agreement in the social dialogue, intensifying tensions between the government and trade unions across both private and public sectors.