Several thousand Portuguese marched on Thursday in the streets of Lisbon against austerity policy that has resulted in a dramatic reduction in their wages as well as to demand the resignation of the center-right government.

“There is a solution, we want elections,” shouted the protesters who led the march, which was organized by the largest union in the country CGTP, while the written slogans on the banners read” government out” or “for a different policy» .

“Two years ago, I could still hope for a comfortable life. Today don’t even know if I can pay my house bills, ” recounted a 50 year old bus controller in Aveiro (north),
Silverio Fernandez.

“It’s always the same ones who pay the bill, while others earn millions,” he added.

The protesters, who arrived from Porto (in the north), the Setubal (south) or even from Portalegre (central), divided into two marches towards the Parliament. In one the civil servants, and in the other private sector employees.

Citizens protested mainly on the reforms of legislation on industrial relations, which they deem “highly detrimental to employees’ and said that it aimed to consolidate” to circumvent the collective bargaining agreements, “according to the CGTP.

The general secretary of the union Armenian Carlos, called for “a policy of the Left” responsive “to the reality of workers and the poorest” during a speech he gave to the crowd in front of the Parliament.

The union, which called for a new mobilization on the 25th of July, also denounced the new temporary wage cuts of senior civil servants from 1500 euro and upwards, that was adopted yesterday by the Parliament.