According to union and company sources, CP – Comboios de Portugal drivers are adhering to the strike and all flights scheduled before 6:00 am have been suppressed.
“The strike is taking place in accordance with the parameters that we predicted. There are currently no trains running. The stop is complete,” Luce said at 07:00, António Domingues of the National Union of Drivers of Portugal. Railways (SMAQ).
According to the balance drawn up by the KP in Lusa, 70 trains were scheduled until 06:00, and all of them were suppressed.
On its “website” CP has already warned passengers about traffic violations from Wednesday 8th to 21st February.
“Due to the strikes organized by the National Union of Portuguese Railways (SMAQ), the National Union of Railway Workers (SNTSF) and the Trade Union of the Traveling Commercial Inspection of Railway Workers (SFRCI), in the movement of trains around the country from 00 hours 00 minutes on February 8, 2023 year until 24:00 on February 21, 2023.
In a conversation with Lusa this Thursday, António Dominguez explained that the strike has several parameters and no minimum services have been introduced.
“The strike started yesterday [quarta-feira] due to the fact that it affects some trains, where colleagues have to rest on the street, sleep outside the workplace. Those trains yesterday [quarta-feira] were no longer held. This Thursday the strike is total, and tomorrow [sexta-feira] will still have repercussions, as well as repelling the strike of other unions,” he said.
According to António Domingues, from Saturday until the 17th, there will be fewer stops, about 30%.
“From the 17th to the 21st, the strike applies to historic trains and therefore will not affect passenger trains,” he said.
The unionist also told Lusa that the reason for the strike was the company’s lack of response to wage increases.
“The reasons are the same as always. There is a salary component. The offer of the company / guardianship is much lower than the inflation that was registered in 2022. This is less than half. cuts in real wages, these are not direct, nominal, but indirect cuts, in some cases higher than those that were during the Troika, and we do not accept this, ”he stressed.
António Dominguez stressed that the workers are demanding at least a restoration of purchasing power.
“Then there are situations that involve the company, working conditions, social facilities, driver’s cabs, we need an effective follow-up protocol for train drivers who are involved in accidents, road accidents, collisions with pedestrians. material parks, situations that the company takes a long time to solve,” he stressed.
In addition to the CP train drivers, workers at Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) are also on strike this Thursday, demanding higher wages due to the rising cost of living.
According to information published on the website of the Federation of Transport and Communications Trade Unions (Fectrans), workers from IP-Infraestruturas, IP-Telecom, IP-Engenharia and IP-Patrimóvel are on strike.
Because of the strike at IP, Fertagus, which connects Lisbon and Setúbal, this Thursday reported possible “disturbances”.
In a note posted on its website, Fertagus, which operates this railway line passing through the April 25 bridge, after paying an IP subscription fee, refers to the fact that train restrictions will be registered from 00:00 to 24:00 . :00 this Thursday.