Caminha, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, March 11, 2026 (Lusa) - The prime minister announced on Wednesday that the Portuguese government will meet with trade union and employers representatives early next week to discuss the draft labour law, saying that he "does not want to prolong the discussion" but wants to "explore all possibilities for agreement".

Luís Montenegro was speaking at the close of the PSD's parliamentary conference, which took place in Caminha (region of Viana do Castelo), under the slogan "Portugal Resilience and Ambition".

"We have to win this fight, with moderation, with a sense of responsibility, of course, but with a sense of change, with the courage to dare to do things differently," he appealed, saying that only by reforming labour legislation can Portugal become a more competitive economy.

In a speech lasting more than 40 minutes and focusing mainly on the Government's labour package, Montenegro called for "institutional loyalty and a sense of responsibility" from all trade unions and employers, including the UGT union confederation, which he accused of having presented an "inappropriate proposal" during the negotiation process.

The prime minister even made a direct appeal to this trade union, asking it "not to capitulate to the other trade union", the CGTP, which traditionally does not agree to compromises in the statutory tripartite talks between the government, employers and unions.

Montenegro even drew a comparison between the CGTP and the far-right Chega party, which also asked the government to scrap the current draft bill to revise labour law and start from scratch, saying that both use the same rhetoric.

"It is often said, and rightly so, that extremes meet. In this particular case, it fits like a glove," he said.

SMA/AYLS // AYLS

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