The strikes are organised by the Permanent Coordination Commission for Unions and Associations of Security Service and Forces Professionals (CCP), starting off with the handing out of pamphlets about workers’ conditions on the job at airports and Lisbon’s East Station and shipping port.

“We’ll be concentrated on these spaces at times in the morning and evening and transmit what the security forces feel to the people who come to our country: the inconsideration felt from their government, what’s at stake and what complaints are common to each structure,” the president of the Professional Guards Association (APG/GNR) elaborated.

While talking to Lusa, César Nogueira highlighted the main questions for the security forces is over salaries and cuts for healthcare, but that there are more, wider problems, “namely, the lack of effectiveness,” which the organisation’s president considers “flagrant and pandering.

“We know many workers will be mobilised to the Lisbon area from other parts of the country. Daily, it’s already hard for the officers to get to the scene on time due to a lack of effectiveness, which is more difficult as thousands of workers will be moved to Lisbon,” the APG/GNR leader spoke, adding that “The security of people is always guaranteed, but it comes at the expense of workers.”

César Nogueira, who is also the national secretary for CCP, has stressed that security professionals are “tired” of words of recognition from the seats of political power and await answers to their issues, emphasising that the protests won’t end” with the occurrence of World Youth Day.

“Our actions won’t die off once World Youth Day ends, because we know, having done this for a few years now, that we need to be persistent,” the GNR official explained, bringing attention to a prison guard strike (one of two CCP structures to have the right to strike) between today and Wednesday.

“The other groups can’t go on strike, but we will be at the locations,” mentioned above, “culminating at World Youth Day on August 2nd, next to the official residence of the President when he’s receiving his sanctity, the Pope. The protests will only end when at least two of our issues are under negotiation to be solved as quickly as possible.”