The strike at the checkpoint has stopped more than 60% of trains running before 7am.

The CP railway workers’ strike on Monday resulted in the suspension of 92 trains out of 146 scheduled (63%) between midnight and 7 a.m., according to data sent by the company to Lusa.

CP – Comboios de Portugal points out that none of the six regular long-distance trains were running, while in regional trains 44 were scheduled to run and 29 were cancelled.

According to the company, 60 services were scheduled on Lisbon’s urban trains, while 15 out of 30 services on Porto’s urban trains were cancelled.

The coordinator of the Federation of Transport and Communications Trade Unions (Fectrans), José Manuel Oliveira, told Lusa that workers responded to the strike at 7:30 a.m., with only minimal services being provided.

“The first balance is very positive. We have a strong turnout from 00:00 to 07:30 with disruptions in traffic. Ticket offices at stations are closed,” he said.

According to José Manuel Oliveira, expectations for the rest of the day are high, as there are services with different schedules.

CP workers are on strike for a day and will be repeated Wednesday at the call of several unions.

The arbitration court set a minimum service fee of 20% for urban and regional trains.

The Arbitration Court’s decision, in the above-mentioned percentage, applies to regional and interregional services (Minho, Douro, East, West, Beira Baixa and Northern lines – in the latter case to Coimbra/Entroncamento and back) and urban services (Azambuja, Coimbra and Guimarães lines).

“We inform you that, due to the strikes announced by the unions ASCEF, ASSIFECO, FENTCOP, SINAFE, SINDEFER, SINFA, SINFB, SIOFA, SNAQ, SNTSF, STF and STMEFE, between 00:00 and 24:00 on 22 and 24 July 2024, circulatory disturbances are expected that will affect 22 and 24 July,” CP said in a note published late last week.

“For customers who already have purchased tickets for travel on Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, international, interregional and regional trains, CP will allow a refund of the total cost of the purchased ticket or its free exchange for another train on the same route, in the same category and in the same class,” he said.

These workers were already on strike on June 28.

It is “unacceptable” for the trade unions that the Communist Party administration, which has guaranteed that the agreement concluded with the trade union organization will be extended to all workers, wants to make this a condition for the adoption of the proposed career regulations.

The government, the Communist Party and the National Union of Portuguese Railway Engineers (SMAQ), which had been on strike from June 27 to July 14 but was suspended, recently reached an agreement.

The operator also reached an agreement with the Union of Commercial Rail Transport (SFRCI) on a career review, including a 1.5% pay rise and an increase in food allowance to €9.20.

Fectrans said the proposal “increases the versatility of functions and does not take into account salary scales”, which it said was a “strategic measure” to recruit new workers and retain current ones.