An Overview of Trade Union History in Portugal

Contributed by Raquel Rego

The Portuguese trade union movement emerged at the end of the 19th century but was swiftly repressed by those in power. Workers' associations were banned for some periods, later re-emerging as mutual societies that even included employers.

The proclamation of the Republic in 1910 initially encouraged trade union activity. Inspired by anarcho-syndicalist ideas, diffused by the newspaper A Batalha, the first national structure, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), was founded in 1919. However, political instability and strong resistance from employers limited the influence of trade unions.

The 1926 military coup and the subsequent establishment of António de Oliveira Salazar's Estado Novo dictatorship radically transformed labour relations for decades. Free trade unions were banned and replaced by state-controlled 'corporate' organisations that aligned with the authoritarian and ruralist ideology of the regime.

In the 1970s, the regime's opening up, known as the 'Marcelist Spring', led to the formation of a national organisation by four trade unions. This resulted in the formation of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers – Intersindical (CGTP–IN), which was officially established in 1974 following the Carnation Revolution on 25 April that restored democracy and trade union freedom.

However, the CGTP-IN's strong communist influence led to a split in 1978, resulting in the formation of the General Union of Workers (UGT), which had a predominantly socialist and social democratic orientation. This dual structure has shaped the Portuguese labour relations system to this day.

Following Portugal's integration into the European Union, in 1986, labour relations gradually came to resemble the European social model and the two trade union confederations joined the European Trade Union Confederation - at different times.

Initially, tripartite dialogue – between the government, trade union and employers' confederations – did not include the CGTP-IN, but ‘social concertation’ incorporated it when the Economic and Social Council was established in 1991.

Therefore, Portuguese trade unionism operates within a fragmented yet democratic system. On the one hand, there is the CGTP-IN, which is widely recognised as the most representative organisation (with around 500,000 members) and has close ties to the Portuguese Communist Party. On the other hand, there is the UGT, which has a stronger presence in the service sector and is more focused on negotiations. Other trade unions not affiliated with these national union structures have organised themselves into independent confederations.

Portugul's trade union culture follows the global trend of a crisis in trade unionism. Today, membership rates are below 20% in both the public and private sectors. Since the creation of the labour code in 2003, trade union power in Portugal has been under attack from liberal policies, with particular emphasis during the presence of the troika (IMF, ECB, EC), between 2011-2014, and at the attempted labour reform in 2025.