The new leader of Portugal’s biggest labour organisation predicted Friday that the national demonstration planned by the CGTP for Saturday to protest the centre-right government’s bailout austerity policies will be one of “the largest ever”.

“The demonstration against inequality and poverty will generate a great mobilisation against the government’s policies”, Arménio Carlos told news agency Lusa.

“The atmosphere is good, the information we have clearly points to this being one of the biggest demonstrations ever in Portugal”, he added.

Carlos, who assumed CGTP’s top post from veteran leader Manuel Carvalho da Silva at a congress last month, said he hoped the demonstration in Lisbon’s main square Praça do Comércio would also serve to “bring hope to workers that their struggle will propel the changes needed in the country”.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators from across the country are expected to concentrate at three points in the capital Saturday and march to the Tagus riverside square where a rally will take place.

The Communist-oriented CGTP and the smaller UGT trade union confederations jointly sponsored a one-day general strike against the EU-IMF bailout programme last November.

However, unlike the UGT, the CGTP abandoned talks with the government and employers last month that agreed on deep, belt-tightening changes to labour laws.

(Photograph: Miguel A. Lopes/Lusa)