Number of strikes soars, public service paralysed // Ferry company buys nine electric boats without batteries
Number of strikes soars, public service paralysed // Ferry company buys nine electric boats without batteries
Portuguese news in English on Monday, March 20, 2023.
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Number of strikes soars, public service paralysed
If you think there’ve been a lot of strikes lately, you’re right. The 204 strike warnings issued in January alone were six times higher than 2021 and 2.5 times more than in the second-most strike-hit January of the past decade, 2020, Diário de Notícias reports. A widespread strike on Friday closed many schools and caused disruptions to health and public services, leaving some hospitals operating at the bare minimum, Público reports. Organisers, who are pushing for better pay in the public sector, said the strong showing was proof of discontent with the entire labour situation. Private sector nurses and rubbish collectors also went on strike last week.
Friday also marked the last day of the train driver strike for now but there are more problems at CP. Train concessionary workers keep striking over allegations they weren’t paid in January or February, and train operator CP is looking to replace the company responsible, Público reports. Teacher strikes of some form continue until the end of term, March 31, Público reports. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa earlier this month denied there was a general climate of social unrest, but admitted concern about the lack of any sort of agreement between teachers and the government, Público reports.
Ferry company buys nine electric boats without batteries
Lisbon’s ferry operators spent more than €50 million on 10 new boats, and one battery, Público reports. If you’re thinking that maths doesn’t work out, the audit office agrees. “It’s like buying a car without a motor, a motorbike without wheels or a bicycle without pedals,” the Court of Auditors noted. Transtejo intends to buy the other nine batteries for €15.5 million without a tender in a move the auditors slammed. In fact, they criticised the whole deal, finding it was sufficiently harmful to the public interest to pass on to public prosecutors for investigation into financial or even criminal responsibilities.
Government claims ‘serious violation’ by TAP management
The government is claiming a “serious violation” of management to justify the sacking of TAP CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener and chairman Manuel Beja, Público reports. They were fired earlier this month over an irregular half-million euro severance payment handed to former administrator Alexandre Reis, Reuters reports, in English. The Inspectorate-General of Finance ruled Reis had to return about €450,000 of the €500,000 she received as a payout when leaving TAP, Público reported. The former administrator disagreed but accepted the decision. Público now reports Reis emailed then-Infrastructure Minister Pedro Nuno Santos at the end of 2021 offering up her position in a way that would have avoided any payout, but she never received a reply. Ourmières-Widener and Beja have until March 28 to respond to their sacking and remain in their roles until then.
Alojamento Local applications surge before ban
The suspension of new licences for various short-stay platforms (Alojamento Local) will only come into effect after the new law is published, Público reports. The government had spoken about making the new measure retroactive but that will no longer be the case, sparking a surge of new applications. Nationally, 1677 requests for new AL licences have been made since the measures were announced on February 17. Some elements of the government’s new Mais Habitação measures to combat the housing crisis continue to be controversial. After intense criticism, the ruling Socialist Party has opened up “space for conversations” with the right-wing main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) on the subject, Diário de Notícias reports. PSD’s proposals to tackle the issue will now be discussed in parliamentary commissions along with the government’s. But they’ve hit a speed bump in Madeira, where regional President Miguel Albuquerque is refusing to implement them, calling them a “crazy idea”, Diário de Notícias reports.
In brief
Brazilian police bust Wolf of Wall Street crime ring in Lisbon. A criminal network was allegedly operating a sham company based on the blockbuster film, using hundreds of struggling Brazilian workers to defraud thousands of other Brazilians. (Reuters, in English)
Thirteen Navy crew refuse to join mission, claiming ship unsafe. Their defence team claims “evidence was destroyed” and the vessel fully cleaned before the arrival of TV crews after the desertion (Público)
Government proposal to revoke Covid-19 laws stalled for six months. The package was approved in the Council of Ministers in September but will only be discussed in parliament this week. It brings an end to the eviction ban and removes temporary changes regarding public contracts. (Público)
Euthanasia to only be allowed if the patient can't commit assisted suicide. Along with tweaks to the definition of “suffering” requested by constitutional judges, the law will require patients to administer their own drugs unless physically incapable.
On a lighter note
Portugal, we have our Eurovision contestant. Mimicat, or Marisa Mena, will sing her song Ai Coração, written almost 10 years ago, when the competition heads to Liverpool (as a stand-in for Ukraine) from May 9 to 13, Público reports. The singer, who names Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and Jill Scott as influences, dedicated her win to “all the underdogs”.
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