Thousands protest in two cities in Portugal to demand higher wages and pensions

Thousands of people have attended protests in two cities in Portugal to demand higher wages and pensions and improvements to social services like housing and healthcare.

Called by the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP), the country's largest federation of trade unions, marches took place in Porto and the capital, Lisbon.

The CGTP’s Secretary General, Tiago Oliveira, said the protests were directed at both the public and private sectors and wraps up a month of activism under the banner, 'Increase Salaries and Pensions, Solve the Country’s Problems'.

Oliveira said the day-to-day difficulties faced by workers stem from political decisions and highlighted unaffordable housing and limited access to healthcare as key concerns.

He also criticised a recent deal the government struck with the General Union of Workers (UGT) and four employer confederations which proposes increasing the monthly minimum wage to €870 by 2025. CGTP members were left out of those negotiations.

"There is money in the country. The problem is the distribution of wealth and we need to keep working to ensure that a larger share goes to the workers who produce it every day," said one protester in Lisbon.

While another in Porto complained that his education hadn’t guaranteed a good job and salary.

"I have a university degree and I thought it would be different, that I would have better conditions and opportunities but unfortunately that's not the situation and we'll be here to fight for something better," he said.

Portugal is one of Western Europe's poorest countries with official data showing that more than half of workers in country earn less than €1,000 a month.

Currently, workers in Portugal get a minimum wage of €820 a month.

The government has also proposed raising the minimum wage by €50 a year until 2028, increasing the national minimum wage to €1,020 in 2028.

But despite the increase, Portugal's minimum amount remains far below its European Union counterparts.

Comparing Portugal's minimum wage

According to data from Eurostat, out of the 22 member states that have a minimum wage, Portugal's ranks twelfth in the bloc.

The European ranking is led by Luxembourg, where the minimum monthly wage stands at €2,204 per month.

Behind Luxembourg is Ireland, where workers earn a minimum wage of €1,840 a month. The Netherlands comes in third with €1,829 per month.

Belgium is also in the top five highest minimum wage-paying countries in the EU with a monthly salary of €1,774. Germany pays €1,761, while France's minimum pay is set at €1,550 per month.