Government's 'Miserable' Meal Allowance Increase for Public Workers Sparks Outrage

Government Proposes 10-Cent Annual Increase in Public Sector Meal Allowance

The Portuguese government has proposed increasing the meal allowance for public sector workers by just 10 cents per year starting in 2027, a move that union leaders are calling "perfectly miserable."

Union Leader Condemns Proposal as Inadequate

Sebastião Santana, coordinator of the Common Front union federation, strongly criticized the government's proposal after a meeting with Secretary of State for Public Administration Marisa Garrido at the Ministry of Finance in Lisbon.

"What the government proposes [...] is a perfectly miserable increase in the meal allowance," Santana stated, emphasizing that the plan would only reach 6.30 euros by 2029 through these incremental increases.

Current Allowance Levels and Recent History

The meal allowance for public administration workers was last increased in 2023 under former Prime Minister António Costa's government, when it rose to six euros.

Meanwhile, the meal allowance paid via tax-exempt card (free from IRS and Social Security contributions) has seen more substantial increases - rising from 9.60 euros in 2024 to 10.20 euros in 2025. This increase resulted from the tripartite Social Concertation agreement.

Union Accuses Government of Eroding Purchasing Power

The National Federation of Public and Social Function Workers' Unions (Common Front) indicated that this minimal increase was the only "novelty" in the proposed amendment to the current multi-year agreement.

The union accused the government of "continuing to make public administration workers lose purchasing power for another year," highlighting the growing disparity between public sector compensation and rising living costs.