Trade unions vowed to step up their fight against the government's latest batch of austerity measures. The main opposition Socialist Party, the Confederation of Portuguese Industry, the country's two trade union confederations, and many newspaper headlines Thursday used the same word to describe the tax hikes planned by the government: ‘brutal’. Rail services were at a virtual standstill due to a strike by engineers. The Lisbon subway closed during the morning rush-hour due to a walkout, while suburban bus services were also disrupted. Further increases in income taxes are also expected.
English: http://www.kswo.com/story/19732249/transport-strikes-in-portugal-herald …
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.