Long-distance rail services scheduled 66 trains, of which 51 were canceled. In contrast, regional services suspended 189 out of 251 scheduled trains. The urban train network in Lisbon saw 250 trains canceled, amounting to half of the scheduled services, while in Porto, only 67 out of the 227 planned trains were operated. Coimbra’s urban trains experienced 18 cancellations out of the 28 scheduled. Regarding the minimum services, 110 out of 115 expected trains were operational.
Today marks the penultimate day of a strike by CP – Comboios de Portugal’s train drivers and ticket inspectors, advocating for salary increases and collective bargaining rights. This industrial action has been causing significant disruptions to train circulation. The strikes, led by various CP unions, commenced on May 7 and will continue through Wednesday. From Monday to Wednesday, minimum services, as decreed by the Arbitration Court, have been enforced.
Among workers’ demands are salary hikes, restructuring of the pay scale, and the retention of collective bargaining rights. The Sindicato dos Maquinistas (SMAQ) is observing its fourth day of a strike against overtime, which will last until Wednesday. Simultaneously, the Sindicato Ferroviário da Revisão Comercial Itinerante (SFRCI) began a strike this Sunday involving ticket inspectors and ticket office staff. This partial strike by inspectors and ticketing workers, which commenced on the 11th and concludes on the 14th, occurs between 5:00 AM and 8:30 AM. Over the past week, CP has been emphasizing the disruptions caused by these strikes.
