By Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira
LISBON, March 18 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters
filled downtown Lisbon on Saturday to demand higher wages and
pensions, as well as government intervention to cap soaring food
prices they say are strangling already tight budgets.
Metalworker Paula Gonçalves, 51, said people were
"protesting against low wages, precariousness and for more
justice" for workers.
"We, the workers, are the ones who produce, we give
everything we have... and the profit is all for employers and
nothing for us," she said.
Portugal is one of Western Europe's poorest countries and
official data shows that more than 50% of Portuguese workers
earned less than 1,000 euros ($1,067) per month last year, while
the minimum wage is only 760 euros per month.
According to Eurostat data, the minimum wage in Portugal -
measured in purchasing power parities and not at current prices
- in 2023 is 681 euros a month, the 12th lowest of the 15
European Union countries that have minimum wages. It compares
with 726 euros in Poland, 775 euros in Greece or 798 euros in
Spain.
Portugal's biggest umbrella union, the CGTP, which called
the protests, is calling for wages and pensions to be raised by
at least 10% immediately and wants the government to impose caps
on the price of basic foods.
Portugal's economy minister Antonio Costa Silva ruled out on
Friday any government intervention to stem soaring food prices,
seeing the market as the best price-setting mechanism.
As of Jan. 1, civil servants' salaries were up by an average
of 3.6% from 2022 levels and those of the private sector grew by
5.1%, while pensions rose by a maximum of 4.83%, government data
shows.
Portuguese inflation slowed to 8.2% in February from 8.4%
the previous month. Prices of unprocessed food products, such as
fruit and vegetables, surged 20.11%.
A year after Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa won a
majority in parliament, he is facing street protests and strikes
by teachers, doctors, railway workers, and other professionals.
"Each time I go to the supermarket I see that the (prices
of) products increase a little more every day and wages do not
follow... it is urgent to cap the increase in the cost of
living," said Ana Amaral, 51, a hospital administrative
assistant.
($1 = 0.9376 euros)
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira; Editing by
Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Messaging: sergio.goncalves.reuters.com@reuters.net))
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