Lisbon, July 2, 2024 (Lusa) - The two main associations representing the GNR and PSP have distanced themselves from Chega's call for members of the security forces to attend parliament on Thursday, citing ongoing negotiations with the government.
"It should be the trade union structures that call for any action, not a political party," César Nogueira, president of the Professional Guard Association (APG), the GNR's largest representative organisation, told Lusa.
At the weekend, the leader of Chega called on all police officers and security forces to "mobilise and turn up at parliament" on Thursday, when the party will present a bill providing for an additional allowance for these professionals.
"We think that Chega's proposal, despite being similar to the platform's proposal [which brings together various GNR and PSP structures and is negotiating with the executive] comes at the wrong time, because it could affect a meeting that has been scheduled for the 9th with the minister and could jeopardise negotiations" with the government, explained César Nogueira.
For his part, Paulo Santos, from the Trade Union Association of Police Professionals (ASPP), the PSP's largest union, stressed that "the political parties' space will be to take political action and let the mobilisation be done by the professionals' own representatives".
"We obviously respect all political parties that want to develop projects to improve our living conditions" and "we realise that André Ventura [leader of Chega] wants to involve police officers in the project that he and his party are going to present", but the ASPP will not be represented on Thursday, said Paulo Santos.
"Bearing in mind that we're in the middle of a negotiation that hasn't yet been concluded and bearing in mind that the trade union space and the political space are things that can't be confused, we're not going to organise a protest or a mobilisation, because it hasn't been defined and deliberated by the union, but neither are we opposed to those who want to mark their position and their presence on that day," summed up the ASPP leader, who, like the APG, is betting on negotiation with the government.
"What we want is for the government to resolve the problem, because it's up to the government to resolve this problem created by the previous government," when it allocated subsidy increases only to the Judicial Police and intelligence services.
Negotiations between the government and the PSP unions and GNR associations on the allocation of a risk allowance remain, after three months, without agreement after the MAI proposed an increase of €300 in the PSP and GNR risk supplement, which would be paid in phases until 2026, with the fixed supplement rising from the current €100 to €400, in addition to maintaining the variable component of % of the basic salary.
As a counterpoint, the platform of PSP unions and GNR associations, which includes the ASPP and APG and which initially asked for a 600 euro increase, is now proposing a €400 increase paid in three instalments: €200 this year, €100 in 2025 and another €100 in 2026.
For César Nogueira, Chega's proposal "pushes" the solution "a bit towards the state budget" and if it "isn't approved, everything will be lost", which harms "some professionals, namely those who are in reserve status moving towards retirement in the case of the GNR, or those who are in pre-retirement" in the case of the PSP.
Considering the appeal made by Chega to be "extemporaneous", the APG will not be present either.
"But, of course, the police and guards will be able to go to the galleries" to watch the proceedings, said César Nogueira, who has more doubts about the outside protest scheduled by the inorganic group Movimento Zero.
The "Zero Movement is neither a union nor an association" and its call for a protest could "cause professionals to do something that is not within the framework of the law", he emphasised.
PJA/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
