The infrastructure minister welcomed the suspension of the strike planned for CP, given that the agreement reached with the unions provides benefits to all workers in the form of higher wages and food allowances.
“The agreements reached with the unions benefit all CP – Comboios de Portugal workers, ensuring wage increases and food allowances,” said a statement from the office of Minister Miguel Pinto Luz.
The Federation of Transport and Communications Trade Unions (Fectrans) announced on Tuesday that the strike by the company’s workers, which several unions had called so far, had been suspended after reaching an agreement in principle on wage increases and career regulation.
“Under the terms of the agreement, from August 1, 2024, all salary indicators will be updated by an additional 1.5%, and the cost of food will increase to 9.20 euros,” Fectrans reported.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, this agreement to revise the employment rules represents a “response to workers’ demands”, allowing the suspension of the strike, which “will have a strong negative impact on the movement of trains and on the lives of workers”.
“The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, welcomes the understanding reached and the end of the strike” called by 11 unions, the statement underlined, adding that the agreement already reached on June 28 between the government, the CP and the National Union of Portuguese Railway Engineers (SMAQ) has now been extended to other union structures.
The unions, which called a strike on Monday and planned another strike for today, also said the agreement was intended to ensure that “new occupational categories created by the merger of existing categories have voluntary access and that they are maintained with a guarantee of career progression and the same functions.”
They also stressed that the KP administration “agreed to implement the agreement of May 29, 2023, unifying the annual performance and performance bonuses to the same amount as the driver’s career bonus, beginning August 1 of this year, with the next payment in February 2025.”
“All of these organizations recognize that this is a possible agreement at this time and that it creates the best conditions for the resumption of important matters for workers, including wage tables, to value and respect the professions in CP,” they emphasized in a press release.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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