On Friday, 4 October, "most schools will be closed, others may be open at the beginning of the day, but then they will close because they will realise that there are no operating conditions. Those that remain open will not have the minimum safety conditions", said Artur Sequeira, from the National Federation of Trade Unions of Public and Social Workers (FNSTFPS), in statements to Lusa.

Artur Sequeira said he had "concrete data on a major strike", which was announced at the beginning of September and which, given the lack of response from the Ministry of Education, was not called off.

"The ministry, which has been aware of this strike for a month, has not scheduled any meeting with the federation to present any proposal for negotiation based on our list of demands", said the union leader.

The creation of special careers is one of the "red lines" of the workers who guarantee that until this demand is met "the struggle will continue", he stressed.

Wage increases are another of the struggles, since "the majority of operational assistants and technical assistants earn the minimum wage or a little more".

Artur Sequeira recalled that these workers perform essential functions on a daily basis for the proper functioning of schools, which range from security to controlling conflicts in playgrounds and ensuring an inclusive school.

The FNSTFPS is also calling for a review of the ordinance on ratios to increase the number of workers, arguing that it is necessary to design an ordinance that is "not based on economic principles but on real numbers so that public schools can be of quality".

On Friday afternoon, school workers will gather at the Basílica da Estrela, in Lisbon, for a march to the building of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, which is located next to Avenida 24 de Julho.