Prison service technicians in Portugal have started a strike against working overtime. The strike began at midnight and will last until the end of June. The technicians demand a review of their career structure. They will end the strike only if the government keeps its promise to conduct this review in the first half of the year.
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Prison Service Technicians Strike In Portugal
President of the Union of Technicians of the Directorate-General for Reinsertion and Prison Services (SinDGRSP) Miguel Gonçalves explained the reasons behind the strike.
He said:
Strike will continue until there is a specific date to begin negotiations.
He also mentioned that the Ministry of Justice led by Rita Alarcão Júdice has promised to review the technicians careers. However, no concrete steps have been taken yet.
Low Salaries And Staffing Problems
One main reason for the strike is low salaries. Many technicians earn only the national minimum wage. This is not enough for the important and risky work they do. There is also a lack of workers.
Over 200 positions are unfilled in various roles. This shortage is worse for professional social reintegration technicians (TPRS). More than 100 positions remain vacant in this role.
Recruitment efforts have failed to solve the problem. In August, two recruitment drives aimed to hire about 100 technicians. These efforts received only 10 applications.
Poor working conditions and low salaries discourage people from joining. Many current workers are also leaving because they feel unhappy with their pay and career options.
More Work, Fewer Resources
Technicians have been given more duties despite these issues. They now monitor victims of domestic violence using electronic surveillance. Gonçalves said it is impossible to handle these extra tasks with the current number of staff. He warned that this shortage puts both the workers and the people they serve at risk.
The strike is expected to last about five months which will end on June 30. During this time, technicians will ensure the safety and maintenance of equipment as part of minimum services. However, they will not work overtime until their demands are met.
Prison Service Technicians Demands
The union has listed several key demands. These include:
- A review of technical careers in the reintegration and prison services sector.
- Salary increases to match the responsibilities and risks of the job.
- Payment of supplements for burden, risk, and hardship.
- Opening promotion opportunities for unrevised careers like TPRS, senior social reintegration technicians (TSRS), and senior reeducation technicians (TSR).
- Recruitment of technical coordinators.
- Increasing the number of workers in all areas to address the staff shortages.
Long Standing Issues
The strike is part of a bigger fight for better working conditions. In October 2024, the union filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. The complaint focused on the government’s failure to review careers as required by a 2008 law.
This law required a review of certain careers within 180 days of its publication. More than 15 years later, this review still has not happened.
The union says the government’s inaction violates labor and salary rights. Without a career review, technicians are left with low pay and few chances for promotion.
Recruitment And Retention Challenges
The lack of action has made it hard to attract and keep workers. Few people want to apply for these jobs because of the low pay and poor conditions. Many current workers are also leaving. This creates a cycle where fewer workers put more pressure on those who stay and worsening the problem.
The Ministry of Justice needs to fix this crisis. The ministry has promised to review careers but has not acted yet. The union is asking the ministry to make this issue a priority. Gonçalves said the union is ready to negotiate, but they need a clear timeline.
The strike shows problems in the public sector in Portugal. Low pay, poor conditions and few chances for promotion are common complaints among public workers. These issues cause dissatisfaction and strikes in many sectors.
Fixing these problems needs a strong effort. The government must invest in its workers to improve their conditions. For prison service technicians, this means better pay, more staff, and career opportunities.
The strike shows that technicians are tired of being ignored. They play an important role in reintegrating and rehabilitating people in the justice system. But they cannot do their jobs well without government support.
The union’s demands are fair and urgent. government must act to fix the problems and avoid a bigger crisis. Until then, the strike will continue. It is a strong reminder that workers deserve respect and fair treatment.
