LOSBON: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday to protest proposed labor laws they say threaten workers’ rights.

The centre-right government aims to make it easier for employers to fire staff, outsource work, and limit certain compassionate leaves, including bereavement leave for women who suffer miscarriages.

Officials say the measures are intended to boost job flexibility and productivity in one of Western Europe’s poorest countries.

The CGTP union, Portugal’s largest, called the reforms “one of the greatest attacks ever made against workers” and announced a general strike on 11 December.

The bill is expected to pass in parliament with support from the far-right party Chega. Union sources told Reuters that around 100,000 protesters filled Lisbon’s main avenue, with the Associated Press confirming tens of thousands in attendance.

Police did not release an official estimate. Workers at the protest expressed concerns over job security. Miriam Alves, 31, a medical device company employee, said the reforms “clearly step backward in working conditions and could lead to a complete lack of job security.”

Madalena Pena, 34, an archive technician, accused the government of reversing labour rights “in an unfair, subtle, and cunning way, without having said anything before the election.”

CGTP General Secretary Tiago Oliveira warned the changes would be “a real setback in the lives of each and every one of us.”

Protesters also demanded higher wages; official data shows over 50% of workers earned less than €1,000 per month last year, while the minimum wage stands at €870.