TNAG-0652-FCO40-801-Planning-Staff-papers-on-human-rights-and-foreign-policy-cou-1977 — Page 177

PORTUGAL (continued)

Right No.

CONFIDENTIAL

Rating suggested by Post

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

Under the terms of a recent Press Law, freedom of speech is accepted both in theory and practice.

In law the judiciary is totally independent, judges are not poli- tical appointees and are debarred from standing for or holding pol- itical office. In practice many figures have remained from the old regime and judgements sometimes show right-wing bias.

With the repeal by the present present Socialist Government of the 1975 law creating only one union congress, individual Trade Unions are now free to join any affiliation they wish. The Gov- ernment also intends to make en- ployees rather than employers re- sponsible for the payment of Union dues which will further increase the individual right of choice and there is no legislation enshrining the "closed shop" principle. In practice the majority of workers still belong to the monolithic communist congress (Intersindical).

O

1

1

(vii)

There is total freedom to emigrate. Refugees from the former African colonies are being encouraged to emigrate to reduce the unemployment burden.

O

CONFIDENTIAL