Lusa workers will begin a four-day strike today until April 2, Sunday. The agency's three workers' unions - the Union of Journalists, the Union of Workers in the Manufacturing Industries, Energy and Environmental Activities of the Center-South and Autonomous Regions (SITE CSRA) and the Union of Service Sector Workers (SITESE) - met in plenary on Wednesday and considered the management's counter-proposal to be insufficient.

"The people in this plenary were very clear in saying that the amount is too low. The struggle continues," said Lusa journalist Susana Venceslau. The agency worker "sincerely believes that there will be a good turnout", although the number of workers who choose to strike is difficult to predict.

According to the ObserverThe strike stems from dissatisfaction with the pay rises proposed by Lusa's management, and the protests are aimed at demanding decent pay rises.

The maintenance of the strike was approved with 105 votes in favor, while 28 workers voted to postpone the strike for the duration of the negotiations. There were three abstentions.

"Lusa workers decided in plenary to hold a four-day strike between 00:00 today, March 30, Thursday, and 00:00 on April 3, Monday. Lusa's normal service may therefore be disrupted during this period," reads a post on the agency's website.

The plenary session was called following a meeting with management on Monday, at which the workers were presented with a proposal to raise wages from 35 to 74 euros. Dissatisfied, the three unions presented a counter-proposal on Tuesday, lowering the request for a salary increase from 120 euros to 100 and asking for an increase in the food allowance to the maximum untaxed amount and the amalgamation of the transport allowance without an increase (currently, the 69 euros allowance is paid in two installments). The management did not accept.

After the four-day strike, the unions have no other actions planned. However, Susana Venceslau stresses that "the negotiation process continues".

In a statement, the unions confirmed that this Thursday, the 30th, a sit-in is scheduled between 10 am and 1 pm local time in front of Lusa's headquarters in Lisbon and in front of the Porto office. On Friday, the workers will gather in front of the Prime Minister's official residence between 11am and 1pm in Rua de Borges Carneiro, Lisbon.

Lusa workers approved a four-day strike on March 15, with 155 votes in favor and one abstention, according to a statement issued by the Journalists' Union.

The protest had already been announced at the beginning of March, after the Agency's management presented a counter-proposal for a 35 euro pay rise, in response to the workers' request for 120 euros.

On November 3, 2022, the agency's workers approved a list of demands which included, in addition to the proposed salary increase, an updated meal allowance, the creation of a parental allowance of 100 euros for each child, among others. (Lusa/Public)