“The first day of the strike, which began today, November 6, with a vigil and a permanent camp in front of the Santa Apolónia Station in Lisbon, saw strong participation from the workers, reaching 98%,” reported the union.
The union stated that the new concessionaire, ITAÚ, “responsible for the catering services in the bars of long-distance trains Alfa Pendular and Intercidades, refuses to comply with the current Company Agreement.”
The union reminded that “thanks to the workers’ struggle, CP — Comboios de Portugal significantly changed the conditions of the public tender for this service in the last three years,” having increased the funds allocated to the concession winner.
The workers of the long-distance trains Alfa Pendular and Intercidades bars are also engaged in a permanent vigil, alongside an indefinite strike, demanding “respect and full compliance with the company agreement.”
The union demands “shift schedules that respect the eight-hour daily work and 35-hour weekly workload,” payment for “work on Saturdays and Sundays with an additional 25%,” and the “daily meal allowance of 11.50 euros and 13 euros.”
The union also seeks the payment of seniority bonuses amounting to 20 euros each and the responsibility and transport allowances.
“The workers will continue the strike and vigil indefinitely, demanding the intervention of CP with ITAU to ensure compliance with the company agreement and the rights already won,” it emphasized.
The workers stated that “they have been waiting for several months for the CP Administration to respond to the meeting request submitted by the Union—a meeting that, despite the ongoing situation, has yet to take place.”
