Prime Minister Costa “took the view that he was not in a position to interrupt the cabinet meeting to come and talk to the workers’ representatives [and] we’re sorry about that,” said Francisco Gonçalves, coordinator of the PT works council. “The struggle continues. A week from now we’ll be here again,” he added, referring to the day of the next cabinet meeting.
A delegation representing employees in which several unions were represented handed in to the cabinet office a document on the situation at the privatised telecommunications company, stressing that some 1,400 jobs have been lost there in the past two years.
Gonçalves repeated his call for the Socialist government and parliament to intervene, adding that if there was no good news by September, workers’ representatives will step up their action, perhaps even with strikes.
Last month saw a strike at PT - which has been owned by Altice of France since 2015 - and a march by some 2,000 employees and union activists from its headquarters to the official residence of the prime minister. But they were received only by an aide of his.
As well as 300 employees facing the loss of their jobs, a further 150 are to be transferred to other Altice group companies, which include Tnord, Sudtel and Winprovit, or possibly to its partner, Visabeira.
The government has asked the Authority for Employment Conditions to assess the legality of the company’s plans but, according to unions, it has said that its hands are tied unless the law is changed.
A meeting between workers’ representatives and PT’s new chief executive, Cláudia Goya, has been scheduled for 6 September, to talk about the company’s strategy.
Altice recently reaffirmed its commitment to Portugal when it announced that it had reached agreement with Prisa of Spain to buy Media Capital, owner of television broadcaster TVI, for €440 million. The deal still requires approval by both the media and competition authorities.