"This is a socialist government, which has the support of the left in parliament, it has a social duty to raise wages," said the unionist at a press conference, adding that it is the word of the prime minister that is at stake, who assumed at the socialist congress in Portimão that there would be "no more low wages".

The secretary general of UGT defended the need to end the policy of low wages and precariousness of contracts and defended that the Government must set an example, increasing the salaries of public administration workers, who last had a wage rise in 2009.

"The Government has to set an example and we demand that it takes a step forward," Carlos Silva told reporters after a meeting of the National Secretariat.