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In defense of their collective agreement, the Portuguese workers of private security have called for a nationwide strike on 26 and 27 March and are also demonstrating today. The Union of Workers of Concierge Services, Surveillance, Cleaning, Household and Various Interests (STAD) have complained that after three direct negotiations with employers, there continues to be no agreement on the revision of the current collective agreement.

According to STAD, the direct negotiations were only attended by one employers' association (the AESIRF - National Association of Security Companies), while the other association (AES - Security Companies Association) did not attend any of the meetings, which the union says "demonstrates the total lack of respect that these employers have for the workers, their rights and negotiations.

Cuts in payment of overtime work

STAD also claims that some companies are withdrawing benefits to workers by applying an agreement signed by FETESE / UGT and not the collective agreement signed by STAD.  The former agreement contains provisions which bring less benefits. For example, in the STAD agreement, payment for work performed on a holiday is paid at 100%, including the holiday of January 1, 2015, while for union workers in FETESE - the work on a holiday is paid at 40%.

Strike on 26 and 27 March, demonstrations March 20

The union believes that while trying to negotiate a new collective agreement, the employers' associations are boycotting the revision of the STAD agreement because they want to end the existing rights.
Therefore, STAD convene a national strike for 26 and 27 March 2015, to defend "the maintenance of our rights under the CCT/STAD” which "are very valuable to the Private Security Sector workers".
STAD also summoned demonstrations of trade union activists today Friday, March 20, at 12pm at AES (on Avenida Alvares Cabral 61, Rato in Lisbon) and 15h in AESIRF (the avenue Carolina Michaelis de Vasconcelos, 28, in Benfica in Lisbon).

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