Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal): critical analysis of social rights

Fifty people responsible for training workers and union members met at the Black Tulip Hotel, in Vila Nova de Gaia (Oporto, Portugal) from February 13 to 16. The seminar was promoted by CFTL (Centro de Formação e Tempos Livres) and BASE-FUT, with support from EZA and the EU, within the framework of IPCM activities.

The seminar was attended by delegates from Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Albania.

Among others, João Paulo Branco, Pedro Estevão, Manuela Guimarães, Paulo Caetano (Base-Fut), Piergiorgio Sciacqua (co-president, EZA), Joseph Touvenel (CFTC, France), Sara García de las Heras (USO, Spain) and others participated.

In the seminar panels, the speakers made a critical evaluation of social rights in Europe and criticized the consideration of work as a simple commodity, in a situation of growing immigration.

The organizers' conclusion is that “we are in an era of social regression”: http://basefut.pt/institucional/estamos-numa-era-de-retrocesso-social/

http://basefut.pt/institucional/promover-os-direitos-sociais-e-laborais-e-defender-o-estado-social/

Base-FUT (Base-Frente Unitária de Trabalhadores) is one of the founding members of the IPCM.