Lisbon, May 7, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's largest trade union federation, the CGTP, argued on Wednesday that the right-of-centre coalition government's Green Paper for the Sustainability of the Welfare System constitutes a new attack on the public social security system, and rejected any attempts to replace this system in whole or in part.
On the eve of World Social Security Day, the CGTP said in a statement that "under the false pretext of sustainability, a new attack on public social security is underway."
According to the federation, "part of this offensive" is the Green Paper for the Sustainability of the Welfare System, which was originally drawn up by a commission appointed by the previous, Socialist government in 2022, with the final version of the document unveiled last year by the current government, a coalition between the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) and conservative People's Party (CDS-PP).
The CGTP emphasised that among the proposals are that private systems wholly or partially replace the public system, in its words "to the benefit of large financial groups in banking and insurance."
While acknowledging that it is necessary to look for alternative funding, the CGTP deplored the government's intention to carry out what it says would be a "profound transformation of this system" - as the CGTP says was made clear by the appointment of a working group to study this reform, made up of members "linked to the interests of the large financial groups."
The federation also argues that with more jobs, less precariousness, better salaries and less under-declaration of wages, social security will be strengthened. It therefore rejects any move to replace the public social security system with "complementary schemes or regimes" and argues that the answer to social security challenges lies in promoting sustained economic growth and job creation.
At the same time, it does not accept the reduction of social contributions and the financing of the system by taxes, capping or any other form of privatisation of social security.
It also opposed any cuts or reductions in the right to protection in the event of illness, old age, invalidity, widowhood, orphanhood, unemployment or family support.
With regard to World Social Security Day, the CGTP says, it "is firmly in favour of defending and strengthening the public, universal and solidarity-based social security system and the public pension system managed on a pay-as-you-go basis."
It warns of the "need, more than ever, to be vigilant and prepared to fight any projects that aim to roll back workers’ rights, in particular manoeuvres and measures that seek to undermine the public social security system and the principles of intergenerational and professional solidarity on which it is based."
EP/ARO // ARO.
Lusa
