The PSD, largest and major opposition party in Portugal, member of the European People’s Party received the National Association of Liberal Professionals at his headquarters’ in Lisbon, on December 16th.
The PSD’s Vice-President, Miguel Pinto Luz and Pedro Reis, Coordinator of the “Acreditar (Believe) Movement” and member of the party’s Permanent Commission, took part in the meeting on behalf of the PSD.
The ANPL was represented by Orlando Monteiro da Silva, President and Board Members Artur Miler and João Ascenso.
The ANPL had the opportunity to share with PSD it’s reasoned perception that the organization of work is undergoing profound changes and liberal and equivalent professionals, freelancers and consultants, will assume an even more relevant role in the new realities that are asserting themselves.
In the European Economic Area, one in every six self employed works in a sector related to liberal professions and the trend is set to increase.
In Portugal, according to the Ministry of Finance, there are about 1 million self-employed workers.
In Portugal one see liberal professionals without representation and full defense of their interests in economic, fiscal and social protection areas. ANPL was recently created to take on this mission.
ANPL shared with PSD interlocutors that only when self-employed workers are to be heard and recognized, will be mitigated the trend towards proletarianization and unproperly remuneration to these professionals and their consequences, such as the affectation of quality in the provision of the respective services as freelancers, consultants and also in companies.
Concrete proposals were referred by the ANPL, focused essentially on the three realities listed below:
- Lack of equity in applicable taxation;
- Insufficiency and inadequate social protection;
- Confusion between true and false liberal professionals.
- Specifically mentioned as given examples the need to consider for liberal professionals:
- The promotion of good practices and codes of conduct;
- Support for parenting;
- The specificity of the system of pensions and other pensions;
- The need to create balance between work and family life;
- Access to continuous and postgraduate training;
- The defense of intellectual property;
- Sustainability and protection of the environment in the professional field;
- Acquisition and consolidation of digital skills;
- The implementation of attractive conditions for underwriting mandatory work accident and professional liability insurance;
- Finally, the recognition of new professions and activities, as well as emerging forms of work.
Miguel Pinto Luz and Pedro Reis, on behalf of the PSD, referred to the importance of the liberal professionals, the role of ANPL and the availability of the Social Democratic Party to jointly study legislative formats to be developed and submitted adapted to the reality of liberal professionals and self-employed workers.
Exchange of collaborative information and joint initiatives between the two institutions were also referred to be scheduled.
ANPL would like to thank PSD and in particular Eng.º Pinto Luz and Dr. Pedro Reis the availability for the joint meeting the ANPL classifies as extremely productive.
The PSD’s political purpose is to contribute to the development of an advanced democracy and an open, free and solidary society.
ANPL vision is the “Promotion and defense of liberal professionals in Portugal , as those with intellectual qualifications including of and artistic and cultural nature, responsibility, autonomy and independence in the best interest of consumers and the community at large.
In the photo, from left to right, Artur Miler, João Ascenso , Miguel Pinto Luz, Pedro Reis e Orlando Monteiro da Silva.
Associação Nacional dos Profissionais Liberais 