Strike closes schools across Portugal

In Lisbon, at the José Gomes Ferreira Secondary School, the principal of the Benfica school cluster said classes were suspended all morning. The situation will be re-evaluated at 1:00 pm, when staff shift changes.

Around 7:50 am, the Pedro de Santarém Basic School (covering primary and lower secondary levels) also closed due to the strike; the same occurred at the Luís de Camões Basic School, the D. Filipa de Lencastre Secondary School, and the Telheiras Basic School.

At the Gago Coutinho Secondary School in Alverca, students were also left without classes.

On the south bank of the Tagus, in the district of Setúbal, the Costa da Caparica Basic School (covering lower and upper secondary levels) was also closed.

Elsewhere in the Lisbon district, the same situation applies to the Damião de Goes Secondary School in Alenquer and the D. António de Ataíde Basic School in Castanheira do Ribatejo, in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira.

In Coimbra, the Infanta Dona Maria Secondary School also closed due to the strike.

Contacted by Lusa by telephone around 8:45 am, Francisco Pinto, a representative of the National Union of Education Professionals (SINAPE), said he was already aware that “many schools closed across the country.”

The union representative noted that schools in the Olaias, Pedro Santarém, José Gomes Ferreira, and Camões school clusters in Lisbon remain closed.

“The situation is similar throughout the country; we are aware of schools closed in Viseu, Pedras Salgadas, Aveiro, Coimbra, Silves, Albufeira, Lagoa, Palmela, Setúbal, and Sesimbra, among other locations.
We believe our initial projection will be borne out: a 70% participation rate among non-teaching staff,” he said.

According to the union, the strike concerns non-teaching staff, including operational assistants, technical assistants, and specialised or higher-level technical staff.

In a statement, SINAPE explained that these non-teaching employees—higher-level technical staff, technical assistants, and operational staff—are calling for distinct career paths given the specific nature of their roles.

SINAPE further stated that the workers “find themselves in a state of ongoing precariousness—lacking a career path, opportunities for advancement, or professional recognition within the public administration.”