Portugal Grinds to a Halt as General Strike Over 'Trabalho XXI' Reform Paralyzes Key Sectors

Hundreds of thousands strike in Portugal against center-right government's labor code overhaul 'Trabalho XXI', crippling transport and healthcare.

Hundreds of thousands of Portuguese workers walked off the job on Wednesday, answering a call from the CGTP union confederation in what became the second major labor stoppage in the country within six months. The 24?hour strike brought large parts of public life to a standstill, with the most dramatic participation seen in hospitals — at Porto’s São João hospital, all doctors reportedly joined the walkout, and in other public hospitals night?shift involvement ranged between 95 and 100 percent. Non?urgent operations were postponed across the board.

The protest targeted the center?right minority government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, which is pushing a legislative package called “Trabalho XXI” that would overhaul more than 100 articles of Portugal’s labor code. Labour Minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho has argued the changes are necessary to raise productivity, stimulate growth and make the country more competitive, adding that stronger economic performance would eventually lead to higher wages. To pass the bill, Montenegro’s government depends on support from other parliamentary groups — possibly including the right?populist Chega party.

Transport infrastructure bore the brunt of the stoppage. Lisbon’s metro shut down on Tuesday evening and remained closed all Wednesday. National railway operator CP ran only a skeleton service, with almost all long?distance and regional trains cancelled. Buses and ferries operated by Carris and Transtejo provided only the legally required minimum. At Lisbon airport more than half of all scheduled flights were scrapped; at regional airports the cancellation rate reached around 40 percent. Flag carrier TAP managed to operate just 79 of its usual daily total of more than 300 flights, and industry observers expected up to 500 cancellations nationwide by the end of the day.

Schools and universities also closed, forcing the postponement of exams. The strike’s impact went far beyond transport, but estimates of overall participation differed sharply depending on who was counting. The CGTP declared the walkout a major success, pointing to the paralysed Lisbon metro, high turnout in public services, and strong support in industrial hubs such as the Autoeuropa plant. Labour Minister Ramalho, however, described the disruption as manageable — especially in the private sector. The government insisted that the overwhelming majority of employees worked normally, and that retail, banking and tourism had largely functioned. Data from the employers’ association CIP supported that view, calling private?sector participation “residual.”

Union leaders see the reform as an assault on worker protections. CGTP chief Tiago Oliveira warned that the proposals would make dismissals easier, deregulate working hours and encourage precarious short?term contracts. Unions also fear a weakening of collective bargaining and, ultimately, wage stagnation.

Wednesday’s strike marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Montenegro government and organized labor over the future direction of Portugal’s workplace laws. Both sides are now digging in, with the country’s productivity debate playing out on its streets, in its hospitals, and across its shuttered transit systems.