Le Portugal au ralenti, perturbé par une grève générale contre l'austérité
Par Lévi FERNANDES
Le Portugal était paralysé jeudi par une grève générale contre les mesures d'austérité que le gouvernement de centre-droit s'est engagé à mettre en oeuvre pour redresser l'économie du pays en contrepartie d'une assistance financière.
Le secteur des transports et les vols commerciaux étaient particulièrement perturbés et le mouvement affectait également l'ensemble des services publics notamment dans l'éducation, la santé ou la justice.
Le coup d'envoi de cette septième grève générale depuis le retour de la démocratie au Portugal en 1974, convoquée par les deux principales centrales syndicales CGTP et UGT qui se sont unies pour la troisième fois depuis 1988, a été donné dès mercredi soir.
"La grève est un sacrifice pour le bien du pays. C'est un carton rouge adressé au gouvernement pour son action qui conduit à l'apauvrissement", a affirmé Manuel Carvalho da Silva, secrétaire général de la CGTP, à l'aéroport de Lisbonne aux premières heures du mouvement devant un panneau d'information affichant les vols annulés.
A l'instar de Lisbonne, les principaux aéroports du pays étaient pratiquement paralysés. La quasi totalité des vols aux départs et à l'arrivée étaient annulés jeudi, selon le site de l'Ana (Aéroports du Portugal).
La compagnie aérienne nationale TAP a supprimé 121 vols commerciaux sur les 140 prévus jeudi, ne maintenant qu'un service minimum vers les îles portugaises des Açores et Madère, tandis que 17 autres ont été reprogrammés.
A Lisbonne, le métro ne circulait pas et le service des navettes fluviales, qui relie les deux rives du fleuve Tage, était totalement interrompu. Le trafic des bus et le transport ferroviaire était également très perturbés.
"Tout semble indiquer que la mobilisation sera plus forte que lors de la dernière grève générale" du 24 novembre 2010, a indiqué Joao Proença, responsable de l'UGT.
Une trentaine de manifestations étaient prévues dans tout le pays et en particulier à Lisbonne à l'initiative des syndicats et des mouvements d'"indignés".
"Je comprends que le gens manifestent car c'est la seule manière d'exprimer son mécontentement", a déclaré à l'AFP Joao Pedro, un employé de 30 ans.
Le gouvernement portugais s'est engagé à une cure de rigueur sans précédent en échange d'une assistance financière de 78 milliards d'euros accordée par l'Union européenne et le Fonds monétaire international.
Outre des augmentations de la TVA et des hausses des prix des transports, l'austerité touchera principalement les fonctionnaires dont les salaires ont été gelés et qui, l'année prochaine, perdront deux de leurs 14 mois de salaire. Dans le privé, la journée de travail sera augmentée d'une demi-heure.
Selon des estimations officielles, la rigueur devrait entraîner l'année prochaine une contraction de 3% de l'économie et un chômage record de 13,4%.
L'ancien président de la République socialiste Mario Soares, figure très respectée, a signé un manifeste avec d'autres personnalités pour s'opposer à l'austerité et appeler à "davantage de justice sociale".
Le Premier ministre Pedro Passos Coelho a réagi en rappelant que la politique de rigueur était "indispensable pour sortir le pays de sa situation" de crise.
"Il est important pour le Portugal de trouver une porte de sortie grâce à notre travail et entreprendre les transformations nécessaires", a-t-il déclaré.
Si les syndicats estimaient en milieu de matinée que ce mouvement est déjà un "succès", les observateurs semblent en revanche plus partagés. Le quotidien de référence Publico estimait ainsi que "la résistance aux mesures d'austérité pourrait être moins forte qu'attendue".
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Source: AFP -- 24/11/2011
Portugal paralysed as workers protest austerity measures
by Levi Fernandes
A general strike against austerity measures grounded flights and paralysed public transport in Portugal Thursday as workers protested a tough 2012 budget aimed at helping the country pay its debt.
Authorities cancelled nearly all flights in and out of the nation's main airports, the Lisbon metro came to a standstill and ferries across the capital's Tagus River functioned only intermittently in what unions said was a necessary bitter pill.
"The strike is a sacrifice for the good of the country," said Manuel Carvalho da Silva, secretary general of the CGTP union, which along with Portugal's other main union the UGT had called the strike action.
"It is a red card to the government for its actions that are driving the country to poverty," da Silva said as he stood in front of a billboard listing cancelled flights at Lisbon's airport.
Amid the disruption, the Fitch agency praised the contested budget, saying it was well-designed and contained significant expenditure reductions, but cut its rating of the bailed-out country by one notch to 'BB+' because of high debt levels and weak economic outlook.
The national TAP airline cancelled 86 percent of its scheduled flights, a company official said, adding that air traffic controllers were planning to ensure only the bare minimum coverage.
Other public services like education, health and the judiciary were also affected and some 30 demonstrations were planned for around the country.
"Everything seems to indicate that participation will be stronger than during the last general strike" on November 24, 2010, said Joao Proenca, a senior official with the UGT union.
Around three million people had turned out for the November 2010 strike, protesting against austerity measures proposed by the then Socialist cabinet.
The current centre-right government led by Prime Minister Passos Coelho has submitted a tough 2012 budget to help reduce the nation's huge debt.
After Greece and Ireland in 2010, Portugal became the third eurozone member state needing a bailout in May when it could no longer raise fresh funds at sustainable rates on the financial markets.
Among other measures, the budget provides for the suspension of 13th and 14th month salary payments for civil servants and pensioners who earn more than 1,000 euros a month.
Employees in the private sector will see their working day increased by 30 minutes while health and education spending will be slashed, topping off a series of measures already adopted in efforts to reduce the deficit.
Coelho has conceded that the austerity measures are even tougher than those required under the EU-IMF bailout terms but says they are necessary to ensure its targets are met in the face of difficult economic conditions.
The Fitch ratings agency cited the high level of debt on Thursday as it cut its rating of the bailed-out country by one notch to 'BB+' because of its debt levels and weak economic outlook.
Fitch said the rating had a negative outlook, meaning it could be lowered again, citing Portugal's "large fiscal imbalances, high indebtedness across all sectors and adverse macroeconomic outlook" for the downgrade.
It said the government's commitment to the reforms laid down in the bailout programme was strong and that the 2012 budget was "well-designed," based on reasonable assumptions and contained "significant expenditure reductions."
Portugal needs to reduce its public deficit from 9.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2010 to 5.9 percent by the end of 2011 but it stood at 8.3 percent earlier this year, putting that objective in doubt.
The forecast for 2012 looks no better, after the announcement by Finance Minister Viktor Gaspar Monday that its economy is expected to shrink by three percent in 2012.
Unemployment is also set to rise to a record rate of 13.4 percent.
Thursday's strike follows protests earlier in the month by civil servants and soldiers and a public transport strike in Lisbon and Porto on November 8.
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Budget cuts will 'sink' Portugal, fume striking workers
by Levi Fernandes
Thousands of workers descended on Lisbon's streets Thursday in an outpouring of anger at a draconian 2012 budget designed to help Portugal pay its debts, paralysing transport services nationwide.
The general strike forced authorities to cancel nearly all flights in and out of the nation's main airports as well as national flights.
Lisbon's metro came to a standstill and ferries across the capital's Tagus River functioned only intermittently in what unions said was a necessary bitter pill.
"The strike is a sacrifice for the good of the country," said Manuel Carvalho da Silva, secretary general of the CGTP union, which along with Portugal's other main union the UGT had called the strike action.
"It is a red card to the government for its actions that are driving the country to poverty," da Silva said as he stood in front of a billboard listing cancelled flights at Lisbon's airport.
Protestors gathered near the parliament wielding placards that read "No salary decreases, no increased hours" and "A brutal offensive, a general strike".
"The government is destroying the country," said 45-year-old Anabela, an employee of the Lisbon metro who says she has lost 20 percent of her salary because of government austerity reforms.
"We are losing our buying power, nobody buys, nobody sells anything...We are going to sink" she said.
With bus and train traffic also disrupted, huge traffic jams clogged roads in and around Lisbon during the morning rush hour. Many hospitals provided only emergency care and numerous ports, post offices and schools closed for the day.
Amid the disruption, the Fitch agency praised the contested budget but cut its rating of the bailed-out country by one notch to 'BB+' because of high debt levels and weak economic outlook.
According to government figures, some 12,800 civil servants, or 3.6 percent, joined the strike, but union leaders said participation looked to surpass the three million people who had turned out for a similar strike in November 2010 to protest austerity measures proposed by the then Socialist cabinet.
The current centre-right government led by Prime Minister Passos Coelho has submitted a tough 2012 budget to help reduce the nation's huge debt.
After Greece and Ireland in 2010, Portugal became the third eurozone member state needing a bailout in May when it could no longer raise fresh funds at sustainable rates on the financial markets.
Among other measures, the budget provides for the suspension of 13th and 14th month salary payments for civil servants and pensioners who earn more than 1,000 euros a month.
Employees in the private sector will see their working day increased by 30 minutes while health and education spending will be slashed, topping off a series of measures already adopted in efforts to reduce the deficit.
Coelho has conceded that the austerity measures are even tougher than those required under the EU-IMF bailout terms but says they are necessary to ensure its targets are met in the face of difficult economic conditions.
The Portuguese were split over the need for a strike.
"We have to try and reimburse the country's debt but this austerity is too brutal," said Patricia Conceicao, an accountant smoking a cigarette in front of her office in Lisbon.
Portugal needs to reduce its public deficit from 9.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2010 to 5.9 percent by the end of 2011 but it stood at 8.3 percent earlier this year, putting that objective in doubt.
The forecast for 2012 looks no better, after the announcement by Finance Minister Viktor Gaspar Monday that its economy is expected to shrink by three percent in 2012.
Unemployment is also set to rise to a record rate of 13.4 percent.
Thursday's strike follows protests earlier in the month by civil servants and soldiers and a public transport strike in Lisbon and Porto on November 8.
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Huelga general paraliza el transporte y servicios públicos en Portugal
Por Lévi Fernandes
Los servicios públicos y los vuelos comerciales se encontraban seriamente perturbados este jueves en Portugal a causa de una huelga general contra las medidas de austeridad emprendidas por el gobierno de centro-derecha a cambio de asistencia financiera internacional.
La huelga fue convocada por los dos principales sindicatos del país, CGTP y UGT, y afectaba el conjunto de servicios públicos, como la educación, la sanidad y la justicia.
"La huelga es un sacrificio por el bien del país. Es una tarjeta roja al gobierno por su acción, que conduce a la pauperización", afirmó Manuel Carvalho da Silva, secretario general de la CGTP, en el aeropuerto de Lisboa, frente a un panel de información que anunciaba la anulación de los vuelos previstos.
La casi totalidad de vuelos con salida y llegada en Portugal estaban anulados este jueves, según el sitio web de Ana (Aeropuertos de Portugal).
La aerolínea TAP suprimió 121 vuelos comerciales de los 140 previstos, indicó un responsable del transportista, precisando que los controladores aéreos sólo garantizarán un servicio mínimo a las islas Azores o Madeira, mientras que otros 17 vuelos fueron reprogramados.
En Lisboa, el metro estaba parado y el servicio de transbordadores fluviales que conecta las dos riberas del Tajo también se encontraba interrumpido. El transporte ferroviario estaba perturbado por el paro.
"Todo parece indicar que la movilización será más fuerte que durante la última huelga general del 24 de noviembre de 2010", dijo Joao Proença, secretario general de UGT.
Unas treinta manifestaciones estaban previstas en todo el país y en particular en Lisboa por iniciativa de los sindicatos y de los movimientos de los "indignados".
"Entiendo que la gente se manifieste, es la única manera de expresar el descontento", declaró a la AFP Joao Pedro, un empleado de 30 años.
El objetivo de la huelga general es protestar contra las medidas de austeridad aplicadas por el gobierno de centro-derecha a cambio de una asistencia financiera de 78.000 millones de euros otorgada por la Unión Europea (UE) y el Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) para financiar la deuda portuguesa.
Además de aumentar el IVA y el precio de los transportes, el plan de austeridad del gobierno afecta especialmente a los funcionarios. Los sueldos de estos han sido congelados y el año próximo perderán dos de sus 14 pagas mensuales. En el sector privado, la jornada laboral se aumentará en media hora.
El primer ministro, Pedro Passos Coelho, dijo que la política de rigor es "indispensable para sacar el país de su situación" de crisis.
Según estimaciones oficiales, esa política de rigor provocará el año próximo una contracción del PIB de 3%, y el desempleo afectará al 13,4% de la población activa.
El país recibió otra mala noticia este jueves cuando la agencia Fitch anunció que rebajó un peldaño la nota crediticia portuguesa, de BBB- a BB+.
Fitch dijo que la nota tiene una perspectiva negativa, lo que significa que podría verse rebajada de nuevo a causa de "los grandes desequilibrios fiscales, un alto endeudamiento en todos los sectores y las perspectivas macroeconómicas adversas".
Esa eventualidad se traduciría en una mayor presión sobre la deuda portuguesa, motivo que obligó al país a pedir asistencia exterior.
Source: AFP -- 24/11/2011
a lire
http://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/actualidad/confrontados-la-crisis-los-portugueses-emigran-angola-o-brasil-54440
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