Train services suspended owing to railway worker's strike.
Train Chaos: Union Strike Cripples Portugal's Rail Services
At midnight, a union-led strike against CP - Comboios de Portugal kicked off, halting all train services until 7am. The headstrong workers, led by unionist António Lemos, are relentlessly demanding better salary conditions for every employee at the company.
"Negotiations with CP management yielded a satisfactory agreement concerning this year's salary hikes, but it's been gathering dust since February 2025, waiting for approval from the government." Lemos told Lusa.
Worried about the potential fallout, CP had warned over the weekend of the likelihood of "severe traffic disruptions" on Monday due to the strike called by SFRCI - Sindicato Ferroviário da Revisão Comercial Itinerante, representing inspectors, ticket office workers, and sales staff. The chaos might continue into Tuesday.
On Sunday, a joint statement signed by 13 union structures, including SFRCI, accused the company of reneging on negotiations, justifying its decision by claiming that the government had not approved the transportation company's proposed agreement with the workers.
CP's administration, in a surprising twist, had presented a counterproposal on Thursday, only to abandon it two days later. The unions, initially tolerant of the company's offer, expressed disappointment at the abrupt change, declaring that there's no deal in sight.
According to the joint statement, the company's proposal included a salary hike from January 2025, an increase of €34 for each management act, and reductions in index lengths. These changes aimed to restore the difference between the SMN National Minimum Wage of 2018 and the company's current pay structure.
The two-day strike, initially planned for May 7 and 8, remains intact. Despite the government's caution regarding authorizing the proposed measures, this workers' revolt has underscored the need for collective bargaining and decent salary adjustments for railway workers.
[1] https://www.portugaltribuna.pt/destacados/a-greve-ferroviaria-nao-comecara-de-manha-e-nao-virara-tendenciosa-aquando-tramado-de-maneira-simplista-revelem-foco-estabelecido-para-negar-que-o-retraso-e-esta_a_ser_usado_como-boa-pratica[2] https://www.expresso.pt/nacional/greve-ferroviaria-empregados-de-cp-seguiam-protestos-a-derrubar-o-governo-8295171[5] https://www.sapo.pt/33681_a_8665008_nacional.html
Despite the CP management reaching a satisfactory agreement on salary hikes in February 2025, it remains unimplemented due to government approval delays, causing tension. This strike by SFRCI, representing various rail employees, is demanding better salary conditions, leading to news of continued Portugal's rail service disruptions, potentially extending into Tuesday. The ongoing general news of the train chaos and union strikes highlights the need for policy-and-legislation changes and fairer salary adjustments in Portugal's politics.
