By Sergio Goncalves and Miguel PereiraLISBON (Reuters) - Thousands of off-duty police officers in plain clothes on Wednesday protested in Lisbon for better wages, demanding the same increases in hazard pay that the outgoing government recently granted to the criminal investigation police (PJ).
In late November, after Prime Minister Antonio Costa's resignation but while he still had full powers to make long-term decisions, the government approved hazard pay rises for the PJ that can reach almost 700 euros ($763) per month and are retroactive to January 2023.
He added that members of the PSP and the GNR had "practically the same competences as those of the PJ".
Police union association ASPP said on Tuesday that the average hazard pay in the PSP was currently between 380 and 420 euros per month, while in the PJ it has reached 1,000 euros.
($1 = 0.9179 euros)(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira; Editing by David Latona and Jonathan Oatis)
Persons:
Sergio Goncalves, Miguel Pereira, Antonio Costa's, Humberto de Carvalho, Jose Luis Carneiro, ASPP, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, David Latona, Jonathan Oatis
Organizations:
Miguel Pereira LISBON, Public Security Police, National Republican Guard, PSP, GNR, Police
Locations:
Lisbon