After the Christmas break, strikes and demonstrations organized by main teacher unions in Portugal disrupted the return to classes. The protests intensified on Tuesday as the government faced a deadline to respond to long-standing demands. The National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof), which is pushing for the withdrawal of new recruitment criteria and a higher wage, led the mobilizations. Hundreds of teachers camped in front of the Ministry of Education in Lisbon, with a major rally planned for Saturday in the city center.
The unions escalated actions after the government signaled plans to grant more autonomy to municipalities and school centers’ managers in staff recruitment. Teacher representatives warned that the proposed criteria would create favoritism and exchanges of favors. They defend the current system, which relies on years of service and specified qualifications, and argue that teachers should be evaluated on performance over time. The STOP union’s national coordinator, André Pestana, claimed the new criteria would introduce subjectivity and partisan effects, while noting that the existing model is transparent, according to El Periódico de Catalunya of the Prensa Ibérica group.
border state
Unions report high adaptability to strikes and estimate near 80 percent participation. Pestana says the unions see this moment as a stark example of the pressures facing teachers in the country. He describes the new hiring criteria as the tipping point, but notes other issues had already persisted, including low salary adjustments, the need for democratic management of schools, and equal educational conditions. Inflation, pension concerns, and sick leave also feature in the protests, with non-teaching staff joining in some demonstrations.
The disruption affected the start of classes across many courses, with dozens of schools resuming only partially or closing temporarily. Families worried about lost days and the need to arrange time off work to care for children. The president of the National Confederation of Parents’ Associations (Confap), Mariana Carvalho, warned that consequences for families could be serious. Unions have urged parents to participate in protests to press the government for swift responses to the demands.
preliminary meetings
In response to rising mobilization, the Portuguese government moved up meetings with teacher representatives, which had been scheduled for later in the month. The Ministry of National Education stated that negotiations would run from January 18 to 20, focusing on the new recruitment criteria. There was no clear timetable given for addressing other union demands, and the government defended its proposals as not altering the current recruitment and qualification model, while accusing critics of a misrepresentation of facts.
The Minister of National Education, João Costa, speaking to the Turkish Grand National Assembly last week, emphasized the government’s aim to end the problems and the instability within the system. He noted that many teachers have progressed professionally since 2018 and that bureaucracy should be reduced. Despite these assurances, unions remain unconvinced and have signaled continued strikes into mid-February, highlighting a broader push for wage updates, better working conditions, and consistent educational standards.