Tens of thousands of people protested in Lisbon, Portugal, against the government’s plan to revise labor legislation. Trade unions believe that this initiative would undermine workers’ rights and are demanding higher wages, IPN reports, citing Reuters.

The largest trade union organization in Portugal, CGTP, which called for the protest on November 7, accused the government of favoring big business, while poorly paid workers face the rising cost of living.

According to the organizers, approximately 100 thousand protesters gathered on the main boulevard of the capital, while the Police did not provide an official estimate of the number of participants.

The government of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro approved a project in September to amend labor legislation, arguing that it aims to stimulate competitiveness.

According to the proposed changes, employers will be able to dismiss workers more easily for valid reasons, without the need to present evidence at the request of an employee or to hear witnesses. Also, companies could create “individual time banks”, which would allow employees to work up to two additional hours per day, with a cap of 150 hours per year.

Miriam Alves, a 31-year-old employee at a medical device company, stated at Saturday’s protest that the labor reform is “clearly a step back in terms of working conditions and could lead to a total lack of job security.”

Another protester, Madalena Pena, 34 years old, claimed that the government is nullifying labor rights “in an unfair, subtle and cunning way, without having said anything before the May elections.”

Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, official data showing that over 50% of workers earned less than 1,000 euros per month last year. The minimum wage is just 870 euros, one of the lowest in the EU.