These measures were transmitted by António Costa at the end of a visit to the Social Security Institute, in Lisbon, and which were justified by the "abrupt" change in the country's reality following the covid-19 pandemic.

During a visit accompanied by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, António Costa said that the Government had previously covered situations in which managing partners, in particular micro-companies, had support to reduce activity, since that had no workers in charge.

"This week we are going to take it a step further, extending it also to managing partners of micro-companies with employees in charge", declared the prime minister.

The second step that the Government will take, according to António Costa, relates to the guarantee period for access to unemployment benefit for people in probationary situations and for cases of termination of the contract.

"The warranty period was foreseen for normal circumstances, but this is not the case today, because, as we have seen, in one month, everything has changed. We cannot leave these people behind," he claimed.

The third measure, continued António Costa, will be given in relation to the group of independent workers - workers who enjoyed the alternative of discounting or not for Social Security.

"Anyone who has not fulfilled the alternative [of discounting for Social Security] is not protected. We are going to take a step allowing also to protect independent workers who, in the first 12 months, did not make discounts, allowing this to be done fairly. Naturally, they will not be able to receive the same from those who made the contribution over those 12 months", the Prime Minister immediately warned.