Court of Arbitration Rules Minimum Services for CP Strike This Wednesday

The arbitral tribunal ruled that the minimum service for a strike at CP – Comboios de Portugal on Wednesday is around 30% for city and regional services and 25% for long distance services.

In a ruling published on the website of the Economic and Social Council (ESC), the Court of Arbitration ruled “that it is necessary to establish minimum services in relation to the movement of trains during the strike in both city and district traffic (in the order of 30% of regular flights), and also long-haul flights (about 25%)”.

The arbitral tribunal found that CP’s proposal for a minimum service of 50% to 75% of scheduled trains was “manifestly inadequate and disproportionate”, jeopardizing “the very notion of a ‘minimum service'” and diminishing “the extension and scope of the essential content of the right to strike” .

The unions, on the other hand, offered a minimum service that would ensure that all trains on the move reach their destination and secure parking, the safety and maintenance of equipment and installations, should the need arise, and the guarantor of the movement of an emergency train, if it proves necessary.

For the court, this proposal meant “depriving users of SR trains of the possibility of circulation on this medium during the entire period covered by strike notices”, and in practice, for many of them, the deprivation of the opportunity to travel to work, school, hospital, etc.”

“While formally limited to 24 hours, the strike by decree will cover a longer period as it will take effect on May 30th for periods of work that are due to end only the next day and will only end on May 1st. June in the case of work periods starting May 31,” the court said, stressing that “in practice, a maternity strike has significant consequences for at least two days.”

The arbitral tribunal also ruled that rescue trains and 25% of trains carrying dangerous and perishable goods must be insured.

The Railway Traveling Commercial Review Union (SFRCI) and SNTSF/FECTRANS went on a 24-hour strike May 31 at CP.

In a statement released on May 15, the SFRCI said that “on behalf of the CP railway workers” it announced a 24-hour strike on May 31, 2023.

“The leadership of this trade union, after a meeting with the leadership of the KP on May 10, 2023, having learned about the terms of the agreement reached between the KP and the trade union of machinists, verified that this agreement calls into question the agreement reached between the Ministry of Infrastructure, IMT, the KP with the GFIK together with other ORT [organizações representativas dos trabalhadores] in 2018 in terms of train safety rules,” the same note says.

The next day, May 16, the National Union of Railway Workers (SNTSF) and the Trade Union Federation of Transport and Telecommunications (Fectrans) also went on a 24-hour strike on the last day of May, demanding the resumption of negotiations. the process of raising the wages of workers.

“SNTSF/FEKTRANS delivered, yesterday [dia 15 de maio]advance notice of the strike for the Communist Party, which will last 24 hours until May 31 next year,” the statement released at the time said about union structures.

The reasons for the strike are the resumption of the negotiation process, the increase in wages, the restoration of lost purchasing power, the promotion of professional careers, the recruitment of workers and against the destruction of jobs, as well as the observance of the agreement of July 22, 2018, refers to the functions of a single agent.