Majority of companies stick with four-day work week after trial // Investigation into leak of recordings of former PM
Portuguese news in English on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Majority of companies stick with four-day work week after trial
Just four of the 21 companies who took part in a Portuguese four-day work week trial have gone back to the office five days a week, Público reports. The rest continued the pilot project with some adaptations. Three-quarters of the companies found the experiment from June to November last year to be financially neutral and 60% increased their profits, although authors of a report into the trial stressed this didn’t mean the change caused the profit jump. London University Professor Pedro Gomes, who ran the project with researcher Rita Fontinha, said the key was organisational changes companies made. He said the four-day work week wasn’t a “magic wand” and demanded changes to increase workers’ efficiency. About three-quarters of the companies made at least one change, most commonly reducing the number of meetings. The experiment was most beneficial for lower-paid workers and women, the investigators found, Diário de Notícias reports.
Investigation into leak of recordings of former PM
Public prosecutors are investigating the leak to the media of dozens of recordings of former prime minister António Costa relating to the corruption inquiry that brought down his government, Público reports. The recordings remained part of Operation Influencer despite having no apparent criminal relevancy or link to the matters under investigation. Costa’s defence lawyer said he wasn’t asked about any of the wiretaps when prosecutors questioned him at the end of last month, Público reports. Costa, who denies any wrongdoing, resigned last year over a corruption inquiry related to his administration’s handling of some large projects. He was mentioned in a separate inquiry but has never been charged or named as a formal suspect. As Reuters reported in April, the ombudswoman and some others have raised concerns about the probe.
In the recordings, which don’t appear to relate to the investigation, Costa was heard telling then-infrastructure minister João Galamba that people needed to feel that the government didn’t tolerate “shit like this”, before TAP CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener was fired, CNN reported. The conversation followed reports and outrage about a former TAP administrator’s irregular €500,000 severance payment (June 2023 newsletter). Costa said it was “her or us” if there were major problems and appeared to request her dismissal for political reasons.
Former attorney-general Cunha Rodrigues criticised an over-reliance on phone tapping, Lusa reports. Referring to reports about Galamba, he said it wasn’t acceptable for a lawmaker to be monitored over four years and that sharing the recordings breaks the law.
President's son named as formal suspect in twins case
The president's son has been named as a formal suspect in the investigation into the multimillion-dollar medical treatment provided to a pair of Portuguese-Brazilian twins, Expresso and RTP report. Nuno Rebelo de Sousa is the third person to be named arguido in the investigation, following former secretary of state Lacerda Sales and Santa Maria hospital director Luís Pinheiro. They’re suspected of abuse of trust or power in an alleged web of influence to accelerate the twins’ treatment. Nuno Rebelo de Sousa said he wouldn’t be appearing at the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the subject due to the investigation. He denied having committed any crime in relation to the treatment with Zolgensma, at one stage one of the most expensive drugs in the world, Público reports. Lacerda Sales and Pinheiro also deny wrongdoing and none have been charged.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he heard about the development through the media and declined to comment, Público reports. The twins’ mother fronted the inquiry on Friday and insisted she never spoke to the president or his son about the treatment, Público reports. She rejected having received any benefits in her children being treated but couldn’t explain several emails including one sent to Nuno Rebelo de Sousa’s partner praising “help” from Sales.
I know this case is getting more and more complicated so you can read about Sales’ appearance before the inquiry here, searches of the hospital here, and more detailed background in my previous newsletters here and here or from Reuters, in English.
In brief
Iberian lynx no longer endangered after numbers improve in Spain and Portugal. The animal has been upgraded to “vulnerable” after a 20-year conservation program. (The Guardian, in English)
Portuguese housing prices starting to turn off foreigners. Prices jumped 7% in the first quarter, a slight reduction in growth, but foreign investment dropped 17.1% compared to the same period last year. (Diário de Notícias)
Government announces anti-corruption measures. The Council of Ministers approved 32 measures but no time frames have been announced for their introduction. (Diário de Notícias)
Council of State composed entirely of men, continuing 42 years of tradition. No woman has ever been chosen for the body created for the president to consult with. They’ve only featured through presidential nomination or automatic appointment due to other roles. (Diário de Notícias)
New Lisbon airport could be ready by 2030, technical commission coordinator says. Rosário Partidário believes the 2030 FIFA World Cup can be a pretext to accelerate work, if there is good planning. (Lusa)
Toll charges scrapped on more than half a dozen roads. From January 1, drivers will no longer need to pay on the A4, A13 e A13-1, A22, A23, A24, A25 and parts of the A28. (Lusa)
On a lighter note
Rock no Rio Febras is back. No, I’m not talking about the huge event in Lisbon featuring Scorpions, Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello and the Jonas Brothers. I’m referring to the significantly smaller (really, so many times smaller) rock festival on the Rio Febras near Braga, which shot to unexpected fame last year when Rock in Rio briefly threatened legal action over its former name (Rock in Rio Febras – the new name means the same thing in Portuguese). This year, the plucky upstarts from the north are mocking their bigger rivals for a controversy in which, Público reports, the vocalist from the band The Gift and another presenter were kicked out of the Rock in Rio VIP area for eating a croquette and drinking an imperial, while working for TV channel SIC. The festival director later apologised. The Rock no Rio Febras crew declared they “hate controversies”, while sharing a menu featuring croquettes and a fake job ad promising minimum wage, beers and croquettes.
And because it’s the first week of summer, here’s a bonus lighter note. Neemias Queta has achieved his boyhood dream by become the foist Portuguese NBA champion, Diário de Notícias reports. The Boston Celtics centre, raised in Barreiro, said it was very important to him to be able to carry the name and flag of Portugal to the world.