Hundreds protest in Lisbon against work conditions

Hundreds of people protested poor wages and working conditions in the Portuguese capital on Thursday.

People of all ages called for the government to raise salaries and put an end to unemployment, marching from Camoes Square in the city center up to the Portuguese parliament.

The protest came on the same day when Portugal's state budget for 2016 came into effect.

Armenio Carlos, head of the largest trade union CGTP, said at the start of the protest that a national reform plan wouldn't be possible without job stability, collective recruitment of workers and revised labor legislation.

"I have faith in this government but we are here to remind them that they can't go back on their commitments," Ernest Botelho, a 57-year old chef, told Xinhua.

The country's state budget for 2016 was approved on March 16. It predicts the budget deficit will be cut to 2.2 percent of GDP after reaching 4.3 percent of GDP last year.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa is confident that he can reach this target despite rolling back on austerity and insists that he will comply with EU demands.

The measures include restoring public workers' pay while raising indirect taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco, restoring four public holidays and lowering tax for restaurants.

Costa's anti-austerity stance has attracted voters but skepticism remains as to whether he will manage to pave a more optimistic path for Portugal's workforce and unemployed. Endit