A woman walks past a closed school in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 26, 2017. Schools and hospitals across Portugal were closed on Friday, with civil servants demanding the minority Socialist government to increase their salaries further. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)
LISBON, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Schools and hospitals across Portugal were closed on Friday, with civil servants demanding the minority Socialist government to increase their salaries further.
Hundreds of schools cancelled classes and medical appointments were postponed.
"If the government doesn't give answers, workers will respond with a struggle," said Artur Sequeira, the leader of the federation of syndicates of workers at a press conference in Lisbon on Friday.
The Socialist government led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa took office in November 2015 increased pensions and raised salaries while managing to slash the deficit last year to 2 percent.
However civil servants in schools and hospitals are calling for a general rise in salaries next year, to unfreeze salary progressions, to pay for overtime and for 35-hour work weeks for all employees.
Last year the Portuguese government raised the national minimum wage from 505 euros (564 dollars) to 530 euros (592 dollars) and is aiming to raise it to 600 euros 671 dollars) by 2019.
