Portugal holds nationwide general strike over labour reforms

Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 10:32 UTC+01:00 (+0100), Portugal, Lisbon

News category : Health and Social Events

On December 11, 2025, major trade unions in Portugal — the CGTP and UGT — launched a general strike, the first of its kind since 2013. The nationwide action resulted in suspended train services, hundreds of flight cancellations, and school closures, as workers protested the centre-right government’s proposed labour law changes. The reform package, which seeks amendments to more than 100 labour code articles, is backed by the government as a means to increase productivity and support economic growth. However, unions argue the changes skew power toward employers and undermine workers’ rights. Despite strong macroeconomic indicators like low unemployment and steady GDP growth, social opposition coalesced around fears of job insecurity and reduced labour protections. While initially a domestic political event, the strike has implications for investor confidence in Portuguese growth prospects and raises questions about the political feasibility of further structural reforms. The disruption to key services also weighed on travel, logistics, and service sector stocks in regional markets.

Overall market impact

Light bearish market impact - strength score : 50/100

Detailed breakdown of market impact over instruments, sectors, and asset classes

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Impacted instruments :

Portuguese equities

Euro zone GDP forecasts

Travel & transport sector stocks

Government bond yields

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