PCP leader says “national emergency” on wages is “battle won”

PCP secretary general Paulo Raimundo defended this Saturday that the “national emergency” regarding wage increases “is a completely won battle from a theoretical point of view”, but it remains to be put into practice, demanding “rights, dignity and respect” for workers. workers.

“I think this is a battle that is completely won. There is a national emergency that today applies to the issue of wages, which is a national emergency, which is for all wages, I think it is a battle that has been completely won from a theoretical point of view, now it is necessary to put it into practice”, said Paulo Raimundo on the sidelines of the demonstration called by the CGTP-IN in Lisbon.

For the communist leader, the “thousands and thousands” who joined this demonstration today are precisely “affirming this need”.

“The problem is not support, the problem is that these people work every day, they make the country work, the economy depends on them and therefore they don’t need support, they need salaries, which they deserve. Rights, dignity, respect and wages, that is what they pay the bills with”, he defended.

Paulo Raimundo praised the demonstrators who, “with many problems, with many difficulties, but with great determination” want to “solve the problems with all this strength”.

“It’s a great joy, it’s a great day of workers’ struggle,” he said.

For the communist secretary-general, “the reasons are many, they are just”, taking into account “the problem of the rising cost of living, low wages, pressure and difficulties surrounding housing”.

“This needs to be resolved, it cannot go on like this. So, there is a very finished form here, with a great mobilization and a great determination, which I think the most extraordinary thing about this grand manifestation, is the determination like these people here are, exactly with the commitment to resolve and there is that force capable of resolve and change the course of Portugal that we really need”, he said.

According to Paulo Raimundo, “reality dismantles” the Government’s argument about wage increases and inflation.

“But there is another underlying problem is that while wages are contained, wages are squeezed, people’s daily lives are crushed, economic groups have 11 million euros in profits a day, banking has five million euros of profits per day”, he accounted.

Asked about the presence of Chega at the demonstration – deputy Bruno Nunes spoke to journalists today at the beginning of the rally, accompanied by deputy Rui Paulo Sousa – the communist leader declined to comment, considering that if he did, “it would even devalue the size of this manifestation”.