In a statement, the union said it was informed by the call centre company – in a meeting held on Monday at its request – that "the workers currently affected by this decision (approximately 200) have already begun to be contacted individually."

"The reason given by Teleperformance for this decision is related to 'structural reasons that require an internal restructuring to control costs,'" it stated.

While ensuring that it is "vigilant to ensure that this process complies with all legally established parameters," Sinttav notes that the company, during its many years in Portugal, "had never previously resorted" to collective dismissal, a "provision made under the Portuguese Labour Code."

And, it states, "the company justified this measure as the only one that guarantees all workers the right to receive unemployment insurance."

According to the information provided to the union, this is a "comprehensive collective dismissal process, affecting not only agents but also workers with middle and senior management ties, that is, staff and their support teams”.

"In other words, it is a purely 'business' and cross-cutting decision," Sinttav emphasises.

Pointing to this as "yet another concrete example of how companies, even large multinationals, resort to collective dismissals, taking refuge in the 'flexibility' that labour law itself allows them," the union advocates that "those with governance responsibilities" use "this same responsibility to govern and decide in favour of workers," so that "the right to work is effectively respected."

While recognizing that "companies have the right to restructure," Sinttav reserves "the right to refuse layoffs, because the union's function is to fight for jobs."

With a view to "fully clarifying the entire situation," the union and the company will meet again on 22 October.