PAN proposes "standardization of the status of student-worker"

In a bill submitted to the Assembly of the Republic, within the scope of Student's Day, the party represented by deputy Inês de Sousa Real proposes the creation of the Higher Education Student Statute which provides for the "standardization of the status of the student-worker and the framework of rights that apply to them".

PAN explains that this standardization is necessary due to the "very significant inequalities" between higher education institutions regarding the rights of these students, since, although labor legislation regulates these rights on the part of employers, the same does not happen on the part of universities.

The party wants all student workers to have the right to take exams in a special period for two semester-long or one annual course unit, to have the right to priority timetables and to be exempt from the obligation to attend a minimum number of classes.

The same project also proposes standardizing the status of high-performance athletes, as well as recognizing the right of students on mobility, firefighters, military personnel or those with minors in their care to take exams during a special period.

The PAN also provides that this Higher Education Student Statute includes harassment prevention strategies with the enshrinement of the "right to access a platform for reporting harassment, sexual violence and discrimination, with guaranteed confidentiality of the content of the report, as well as to access psychological support responses for victims of harassment and sexual violence".

In another proposal, also in the context of higher education, the PAN proposes expanding student-workers' access to social support such as family allowances or scholarships, in order to put an end to what they say is a "loophole" and "unjustified discrimination" in the law that prevents self-employed workers from accessing these types of benefits.

The party also presented a draft resolution asking the Government to move forward with making monthly transport passes free for all young people up to the age of 30.

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