PORTUGAL: Anger over cuts at Portuguese May Day protests

Record ID: 214656

  • Title: PORTUGAL: Anger over cuts at Portuguese May Day protests
  • Date: 1st May 2014
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (MAY 1, 2014) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS START GATHERING FOR MAY DAY MARCH BAND PLAYING DRUMS DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNER VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AND CHANTING SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) DEMONSTRATOR, RUI GOMES, SAYING: "We can't continue like this, with job cuts, our rights being cut. They want to kill us by starvation, how can this get bet
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: Economy,Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVAMJWB32KRCEDN7Y1PG4TOM6LY
  • Story Text: Thousands took to the streets of Lisbon to mark International Labour Day on Thursday (May 1).
    The march was organised by CGTP Labour Union under the slogan "Fight to change policy and government".
    Workers from across the country marched waving banners and chanting slogans demanded more jobs, better wages and the resignation of the government.
    "We can't continue like this, with job cuts, our rights being cut. They want to kill us by starvation, how can this get better, it can't. We must fight and work to get better conditions and a better country," protester Rui Gomes told Reuters.
    The government on Wednesday (April 30) presented its budget strategy guidelines for 2014-18 which featured more tax hikes and plans to increase the top VAT rate to 23.25 percent from 23 percent from 2015, intended to help finance the pension system. It will also raise social security contributions for workers to 11.2 percent from 11 percent.
    The head of the civil servants union, Ana Avoila, said that government resignation was the only solution.
    "We demand different policies and decent wages and pensions and the reversal of the cuts made to wages and pensions," she said.
    Portugal's international bailout, which dictated painful austerity measures over the past three years,mid May, but the country still has to cut the budget deficit to 4 percent of GDP this year and to 2.5 percent in 2015. It is also bound by the EU fiscal pact calling for ever lower deficits after that.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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