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The three Portuguese banking unions affiliated to UNI Global Union (SBC, SBN and SBSI) brought a lawsuit on wage cuts arising from the State Budget Law for 2011 against Portuguese Bank BPN (Banco Português de Negócios) .



In the lawsuit, which runs under the First section of the Labour Court in Oporto, as number 736/11.0TTPRT - a decision has been taken by the Judge, who has decided to send the case directly to the Court of Justice of the European Union.



Indeed, Anabela Tenreiro, the Judge of that court proceedings, held that there was serious doubts about the compliance of the State Budget Act of 2011 (the matter of wage cuts) with a series of principles and international treaties, particularly with regard to discrimination on the basis of employment and decrease in pay.



In her decision, the judge found that the wage cuts were not the only measure possible to be taken by the Government and may violate the right to decent working conditions.



The process will now be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which will to pronounce on these matters.



As far as we know, this is the first judicial decision in Portugal to refer to the international spheres the request of consideration of matters of this nature.



This decision emerges from the tireless commitment of the three Portuguese banking unions affiliated in UNI in a neverending fight against restrictive measures applied to portuguese workers.



At the same time the three Unions decided to inform UNI and ETUC about this lawsuit as well as the reasons why the Judge has decided on this way.