Sindicato das Industrias Metalurgicas e Afins (SIMA)

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The corporate trade union structure inherited from the Fascism and conserved by most of the trade unions until 1977/78 prevented the resolution of the big and serious problems of the metalworkers. The maintenance of the General Assemblies, with well-forged manipulation schemes, hindered the worker to express his opinion or suggest any change to what was proposed by the Direction having as something guarantied the threats, the insults/offences and even physical aggressions.

As a result of all this, a large number of metalworkers that, during the years never stopped to fight in order to be heard, has decided to put a break in this uncontrollable train strange to justice, morality and democracy.

Several meetings were promoted where were debated the most urgent problems of these workers and where were also defined some acting guidelines that could be emerge as an alternative to the corporate structure and practises followed by the Intersindical. On such occasion it was drawn the draft version of the programme lines of new trade union statute consecrating the feeling and the will/desire of most of the metalworkers. This movement has been, later on, spread to the rest of the country through working groups constituted for such effect. As a logic consequence it emerges the idea to create a vertical trade union, at national level.

In order to give continuity to the determination of a growing number of metalworkers it was elected a temporary commission that distributed the draft version of the statutes all over the country aiming their discussion and correction. Once approved the draft version of the statutes, they were sent to the Labour Ministry that has officially published them in the official report No 25, of 8 July 1978.

These new statutes proposed a structure characterised by the replacement of the General Assembly by the Congress where all the bodies of the trade union to be created, would be elected. The temporary commission would have, then, 90 days to proceed to the elections, at national level, of the delegates to the SIMA’s constituent Congress.

The first Congress of SIMA

When the first SIMA’s Congress took place it counted already with 36.000 adherents. It has been this huge initial mobilisation that allowed that the realisation of the Congress to become a historic milestone for the Portuguese Trade Union Movement, in general, and to the metalworkers in special.

After two days of deep and open debate the 300 delegates present, coming from all the country’s districts, ended by approving the directive bodies of Sindicato das Indústrias Metalúrgicas e Afins - the first vertical trade union of the country.

The top body of SIMA is the Congress, constituted by a group of delegates elected by direct, universal and secret vote, according the d’hont method.

From the different attributions of the Congress, which gathers ever four years, is the election of the National General Secretariat, the Accounts Council and Disciplinary Council. The Executive Commission is the last executive body.

SIMA’s structure lies directly in the companies. SIMA’s principles do not allow the passive acceptation of solutions, but yes the honest and active participation of all the trade unions movements towards the mobilisation of all the workers.

The Democratic trade unionism principles orientate its action, having in mind the creation of a trade union movement strong and independent. SIMA proposes to fight with all the democratic trade union's organisations, national or foreign, to reach the liberation of the workers according the worker's solidarity principles.

Following these principles, approved with the majority, at its first Congress, SIMA has deliberated to join the IMF (International Metalworkers’ Federation) and the EMF (European Metalworker’s Federation).

SIMA was, on such occasion, a founder member of UGT.

Since 2003, upon request of the Portuguese workers, SIMA covers all productive branches/sectors (due to a change of its statutes) which represent an evolution of its acting aiming to continue assuring, to its members, a high level of support.