Portuguese call for better working conditions

Hundreds of people marched down the city center here on Sunday waving red banners and carrying red roses to celebrate the May Day, in what was a peaceful protest organized by trade unions GCTP and UGT.

People of all ages met at the city's Martim Moniz square and descended down Alameda D. Afonso Henriques.

The red roses held by attendees were to symbolize the bloodless coup in 1974 which overthrew a dictatorship.

May Day is celebrated internationally and stems from the Chicago labor movement that took place in 1886 to demand an 8-hour day shift.

While this year the protest was more cheerful in Portugal due to the new government vowing to roll back austerity, trade unions were calling for the need to put an end to poor working conditions.

"There is an inversion of politics but it isn't enough, it is necessary to go further," Armenio Carlos, head of CGTP, told media at the start of the protest.

Carlos told journalists that the government has raised the national minimum wage and reduced taxes, but that a lot was still to be done.

"We need more rights and we need to fight against job insecurity. The national minimum wage has to be raised. I work with green receipts and have to depend on my parents, so I hope this situation will change," said Carolina Pinheiro, 22, a biology student and sports coach.

She is one of thousands of young people working on "green receipts," meaning they have no contract or social protection.

Portugal's national minimum wage has risen from 505 euros (578 U.S. dollars) last year to 530 euros, still way below the European average, and unemployment stands at around 12 per cent.

"I have worked for 40 years and am retired but I am here to support other workers and to fight for dignified working conditions," said 75-year old Antonio Cartaxo.

The event also saw immigrants protesting due to not having been legalized after six years living in the country, while others protested Europe's refugee policies.

As well as the main trade unions, there were syndicates from a number of sectors including education and security.

Portugal exited a 78-billion-euro bailout two years ago, which lasted three years. During this period the country was led by Prime Minister Passos Coelho, who cut public employees' salaries and raised taxes to meet its deficit targets.

The country is now governed by Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is backed by radical left parties and has insisted that he wants to "turn a page on austerity."

The current Socialist government in power has said it will meet EU requirements however the International Monetary Fund believes the economy will be growing at too slow a rate, at an average of 1.3 per cent every year.

The country's debt burden is still one of the highest in Europe, standing at almost 130 per cent of GDP.

Source: XINHUA