“There has been 80 to 90% adhesion in those two sectors which refers to workers in general careers, operational assistants, technical assistants and senior technicians. The doctors and nurses did not issue any notice of a strike”, Orlando Gonçalves, from the STFPSN - Union of Workers in Public and Social Functions of the North, told Lusa.

The strike was called by the Common Front of Public Administration Unions to contest the 0.9% salary update for this year, with a national demonstration scheduled for this afternoon in Lisbon.

“In the health sector and in schools, the adhesion to the strike is above 80%, then we have finance, justice and Social Security, which will be lower because they are more corporatist professional groups that never have such a large adhesion when we talk about general strikes”, said Orlando Gonçalves.

Orlando Gonçalves said that at the Hospital de S. João in Porto, adherence is above 90%.

Schools

As far as schools are concerned, Orlando Gonçalves says he still hasn’t been given exact numbers, but there are many closed across the country.

The Common Front demonstration, which takes place one week before the final global vote on the 2022 State Budget proposal (OE2022) in parliament, starts at around 2:30 pm from Marquês do Pombal, heading to the Assembly of the Republic.