Guaranteed Minimum Services at the Regional Slaughterhouse During Strike in March

In a joint decision, the Regional Secretariats for Inclusion, Labour and Youth and for Agriculture and Fisheries issued a dispatch to ensure that the Autonomous Region of Madeira Slaughter Centre (CARAM - EPERAM) maintains indispensable minimum services during a strike period called by the Union of Public and Social Workers - South and Autonomous Regions.

The strike, which will take place between March 16 and 30, 2026, with a total work stoppage, raised significant concerns due to the crucial role of CARAM - EPERAM as the region's only public slaughterhouse. This center is responsible for 100% of the regional consumption of fresh meat, and its complete paralysis could compromise the supply of beef, pork, sheep, and goat meat, in addition to potentially increasing informal and clandestine slaughter, with serious risks to public health and animal welfare.

The joint dispatch aims to safeguard the "imperative social needs" of the population, including emergency slaughter for animals in suffering and the maintenance of the food supply chain. The decision was taken after the lack of agreement between the union and the company on the definition of minimum services.

The minimum services detailed in Annex I of the dispatch include the slaughter and preparation of carcasses, conditioning and unloading of animal by-products (ABPs) and specified risk materials (SRMs), prevention of emergency slaughter and distribution. Specific workers will be designated to ensure these functions, guaranteeing safety and compliance with standards.

This measure underlines the strategic importance of CARAM for food security and public health in Madeira, seeking to balance the right to strike with the safeguarding of community interests.