Portuguese protest economic hardship ahead of election

LISBON: Thousands of people demonstrated in several Portuguese cities on Saturday demanding higher wages, ahead of a snap legislative election next month.

Portugal´s president called the polls for May 18 -- the third national ballot in barely three years -- after the minority centre-right government of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro lost a confidence vote in March over a scandal linked to public contracts.

“It´s necessary to change policy, that´s the message we want to send to the next government,” Celia Matos, a 52-year-old nurse from the capital Lisbon, told AFP.

“In the past, people were poor, but they had a right to dignity. Today, that´s no longer the case!” said Vitor Botas, a 62-year-old retired member of the military, highlighting the country´s housing crisis and growing number of homeless people.

In Lisbon, but also Porto in the north and the central city of Coimbra, protesters demanded wage increases of at least 15 percent, and a minimum raise of 150 euros for all workers.

Union leader Filipe Pereira told local media the movement was a way of “putting workers´ real demands on the agenda” as political parties move ahead with pre-election campaigning.