Strike Action Persists: Complete Engagement Witnessed on Day Two of Rail Workers' Protest
Portuguese Rail Strike Enters Second Week with Full Participation
Rail services in Portugal have been significantly affected by a strike that commenced on May 7, 2025, and continues through May 14, causing extensive cancellations nationwide. The strike, led by fourteen unions, has been met with near-universal support, with some days reporting a 100% participation rate.
The Comboios de Portugal (CP), the company at the heart of the industrial action, has yet to provide any update on the situation, while the Lusa news agency awaits a report from the company.
The unions are protesting against proposed salary adjustments deemed insufficient to restore purchasing power, advocating for collective negotiations of fair wage adjustments and the implementation of an agreement to restructure salary scales as agreed upon.
On Wednesday, CP expressed regret over the disruptions to passenger lives caused by the strike, also contesting the lack of minimum services before the Lisbon Court of Appeal. Train circulation has been disrupted since the start of the strike and is expected to remain affected until May 14.
The Economic and Social Council's Arbitration Court did not decree minimum services for this strike, a decision CP contested in the Lisbon Court of Appeal. The court recognized the social importance of rail transport but also acknowledged the right to strike.
Minimum train services were proposed at 30% by CP but set at 25% by the arbitration court, encompassing long-distance, regional, and urban services in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra. However, the actual services often fall below this due to the high strike adherence.
This strike follows others called by the Machinists' Union (SMAQ) and the Commercial Itinerant Review Railway Union (SFRCI). Essential safety and maintenance services, emergency services, rescue trains, and trains already in motion are ensuring minimum operational levels.
Travelers are advised to monitor CP's official channels for the latest updates as the strike persists, indicating ongoing negotiations and uncertainty about a swift resolution.
- In addition to the ongoing rail strike in Portugal, other unions such as SMAQ and SFRCI have also called for strikes, causing a wave of disruptions in the country's general news and politics.
- Despite the extensive cancellations and disruptions in Portugal's crime-and-justice sector due to the rail strike, essential safety services and emergency services are being maintained to ensure public safety.
