LISBON — Tens of thousands of people marched through Portugal’s capital on Saturday to protest proposed labor reforms that unions say would erode workers’ rights and undermine job security.

The center-right government is pushing legislation that would make it easier for employers to fire workers, outsource jobs to third-party companies, and limit certain types of compassionate leave — including reducing bereavement leave for women who suffer miscarriages.

Officials argue the measures are needed to boost flexibility and productivity in one of Western Europe’s poorest economies.

Portugal’s largest union, CGTP, denounced the proposals as “one of the greatest attacks ever made against workers” and announced a nationwide general strike for Dec. 11. The bill is expected to pass Parliament with support from the far-right Chega party.

CGTP told Reuters that about 100,000 demonstrators filled Lisbon’s main avenue, while the Associated Press also reported “tens of thousands” in attendance. Police did not provide an estimate.

Miriam Alves, 31, who works for a medical device company, told Reuters the reforms represent “a step backward in working conditions and could lead to a complete lack of job security.”

Archive technician Madalena Pena, 34, accused the government of rolling back labor protections “in an unfair, subtle, and cunning way, without having said anything before the election” in May.

CGTP general secretary Tiago Oliveira said the reforms, if enacted, would be “a real setback in the lives of each and every one of us.”

Protesters also demanded higher wages. Official data shows more than half of Portuguese workers earned under €1,000 ($1,060) per month last year, while the minimum wage stands at €870. — Agencies