Do you travel by train? KP announces new strike

The National Independent Railway Workers’ Union (Sinfb) has called for a new strike at CP between August 29 and September 9, starting with sixth hour work and overtime, demanding better career development.

According to Sinfb director António Pereira this Friday, the strike notice was announced at the beginning of the week and applies to all categories of the company’s workers.

As the document states, workers “fight for decent career rules that take into account the functional and salary content of each.”

Thus, according to the terms of the advance notice, “from 00:00 on August 29, 2024 until midnight on September 9, 2024, all employees will declare a strike from the 6th hour of work” and “overtime work, including work on the weekly day off.”

“For services lasting more than six hours and ending outside the location, workers with the ODS category [Operadores de Revisão e Venda] “They will strike as soon as the train leaves,” he says.

“However,” he adds, “Revision and Trade Operators, whenever the sixth hour of service in circulation arrives on the road, the worker declares a strike on the last visit to their headquarters, even if this occurs before the sixth hour of service is reached.”

The notice also states that “during the strike, shifts that include meal times cannot be changed.”

This strike will overlap with another strike called by Sinfb and the Metropolitan and Railway Workers’ Union (Stmefe), which began on the 9th and continues until the 31st, but only affects workers in railway maintenance workshops and the railways, focusing on overtime work.

The exception was the holiday on August 15, which lasted 24 hours.

Although, according to António Pereira, the 24-hour strike carried out during the holidays was respected 100%, it did not cause any restrictions in circulation, as there was no damage requiring repair in the workshops.

This strike of workers of the KP workshops continues until the 31st, but only for overtime work and has not yet led to suppression.

Despite this, CP warns on its website of the possibility of “specific disturbances in circulation” until the end of the month.

Last month, CP reached an agreement with 11 unions to call off a planned strike at this time, but Sinfb and Stmefe disagreed with what was presented.

The operator has also already signed an agreement with the National Union of Portuguese Railway Drivers (SMAQ) and the Railway Union of Mobile Commercial Activities (SFRCI).

Speaking to Lusa on August 7, Sinfb’s Antonio Pereira said the agreement signed by the other unions was “practically [igual ao] presented two days before,” indicating that unless they had agreed in advance, they were not going to do it that day either.

“We are fighting for career growth. The company wants to give us more work for the same money, and we absolutely do not accept this,” he assured.