A CGTP and UGT have called a general strike for December 11 in response to the draft labor law reform presented by the PSD/CDS-PP government.
This marks the first time the two major union confederations have united for a strike since June 2013, when Portugal was under ‘troika’ intervention.
CP — Comboios de Portugal
The arbitration tribunal of the Economic and Social Council (CES) has accepted a proposal for minimum services from CP — Comboios de Portugal, excluding long-distance trains 133, 134, 523, 15 regional circulations, three urban trains in Coimbra, 33 in Lisbon, and 15 in Porto.
Regarding Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), necessary services will be provided to meet the minimum service requirements for CP, in addition to the services identified in the company’s proposal for the circulation ensured by Fertagus and Medway.
Fertagus
For the company responsible for the rail connection between Setúbal and Lisbon, known as the 25 de Abril Bridge train, a minimum service of 25% has been mandated.
This measure aims to “ensure compliance with the legal obligations of minimum service provision” and, as much as possible, the continuity of essential activities during the strike period, according to the company.
Transtejo/Soflusa
The river crossing between the two banks of the Tagus River in the Lisbon region, between the capital and the Setúbal district, will operate with 25% of Transtejo/Soflusa (TTSL) services between 06:00 and 09:30 and from 18:30 to 20:00, according to the decreed minimum services.
Striking workers and unions will ensure the necessary services for the safety and maintenance of TTSL’s equipment and facilities in all areas affected by the strike, including urgent and rescue services, and those necessary for the safety of the terminal or any vessel, as defined in the strike notice.
Metro de Lisboa
In the Lisbon Metro, the arbitration tribunal unanimously decided not to set minimum services for train circulation.
The administration appealed the decision, citing the severe impact on the “essential mobility needs of citizens” in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and emphasizing its “structuring role” in public transport.
Despite a decision not being known by late afternoon, Lisbon Metro posted on its official website that “due to the strike, the transport service is expected to be suspended, and stations will be closed from 06:30 on December 11 to 01:00 on December 12.” “Normal service will resume at 06:30 on December 12,” it added.
Lisbon Metro operates daily with four lines: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Telheiras-Cais do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia), and Red (Aeroporto-São Sebastião), between 06:30 and 01:00.
Carris
In Carris, the municipal company operating in Lisbon with buses and trams, minimum services will be provided on 12 lines.
The court ordered the transportation for people with reduced mobility and 12 routes to operate while maintaining proportional distribution according to peak and off-peak times, based on the usual weekday schedule frequency for each route.
The affected lines are 703 (129 trips), 708 (115 trips), 717 (162 trips), 726 (128 trips), 735 (162 trips), 736 (165 trips), 738 (85 trips), 751 (165 trips), 755 (128 trips), 758 (182 trips), 760 (120 trips), and 767 (160 trips).
Carris Metropolitana
Carris Metropolitana has yet to provide any indication of how the strike may affect its operation or if minimum services will be in place. Lusa attempted to contact the operator without success.
Carris Metropolitana is a brand created for interurban buses in the Lisbon region, coordinated by Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa, a public management entity dependent on the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML).
It has been operating since June 1, 2022, in four areas (concessioned to different private operators), including 15 AML municipalities that delegated their transport competencies to Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa.
The operation of Carris Metropolitana also includes connections to municipalities that did not delegate competencies and manage local transport directly: Barreiro (TBC), Cascais (MobiCascais), and Lisbon (Carris).
Metro Mondego
The minimum services decreed for Metro Mondego, managing the Mondego Mobility System (SMM), maintain the preliminary operation of the ‘metrobus’ in Coimbra in its entirety but reduce alternative services to the Lousã branch.
The preliminary operation of the ‘metrobus’ runs from 07:30 to 20:00 with a frequency of every 10 minutes, but alternative services to the Lousã branch are reduced, with two buses maintained for morning services and three for the end of the day.
The agreement between Metro Mondego and the Union of Road and Urban Transport Workers of Portugal suspends the circulation of six buses that provide alternative services to the Lousã branch (connecting this municipality to Coimbra).
In justifying the definition of minimum services, it is highlighted that the company ensures daily school transport for students using its services (whether the ‘metrobus’ or alternative services).
According to the agreement, Metro Mondego transports over 400 students daily, and it has been considered that minimum services should cover “all services conducting school transport.”
Metro do Porto
Metro do Porto expects its operation to be “severely impacted” by the strike, with disruptions anticipated to begin tonight (with the last departures across the network occurring between 22:00 and 23:00).
On the day of the strike, “services will only be operational on the Yellow Line, between Hospital de São João and Santo Ovídio stations [Vila Nova de Gaia], and the common trunk between Campanhã and Senhora da Hora [Matosinhos].”
In both cases, there will be a frequency of two vehicles per hour and per direction from 06:00 to 01:00, with an increase to four vehicles per hour and per direction between 07:00 and 20:00.
No service will be available on the Blue (A), Red (B), Green (C), Violet (E), and Orange (F) lines, it was warned.
The metro network serves seven municipalities in the Porto Metropolitan Area with six lines.
STCP
Sociedade de Transportes Coletivos do Porto (STCP) also anticipates disruptions due to the general strike, noting that bus services will be limited from 00:00 to 02:00 on Friday.
In a statement, the company says minimum services will be ensured on lines 200, 201, 204, 205, 207, 208, 305, 500, 502, 600, 602, 701, 702, 704, 801, 901/906, 903, and 907, operating during daytime hours between 06:00 and 21:00.
The same will apply for nighttime service from 21:00 to 00:30, with lines 200, 204, 205, 305, 500, 502, 600, 602, 701, 702, 801, 901/906, 903, and 907.
In early morning service, from 00:30 to 06:00, STCP will ensure full trips on lines 1M, 4M, 5M, 7M, 8M, 9M, 10M, 11M, 12M, and 13M, with line 3M operating at 01:00, 02:00, 03:00, 04:00, and 05:00.
Road Transport in Alentejo
The Union of Road and Urban Transport Workers of Portugal expressed “high expectations” regarding adherence to the general strike in Alentejo in both urban and intermunicipal routes after discussions with workers.
Bruno Pires, the coordinator of the Setúbal delegation of the union covering the Alentejo districts of Évora, Beja, and Portalegre, stated, “the impact of the general strike will be felt.”
Lusa sought clarification from Rodoviária do Alentejo (the main service provider for the region’s drivers) about the general strike and whether minimum services will be decreed, but no information was available.
The Intermunicipal Community of Central Alentejo and Évora City Hall explained to Lusa that they have transport concession contracts with Rodoviária do Alentejo, providing only oversight of contract compliance, not management.
Horários do Funchal
The Madeira government (PSD/CDS-PP) has decreed minimum services in the public company Horários do Funchal (HF), Madeira’s largest public transport company, with around 350 employees, primarily serving the municipality of Funchal, the most populous of the region’s 11 municipalities.
In a joint dispatch by the regional secretaries for Equipment and Infrastructure and Inclusion, Labor and Youth, published in the Official Journal on December 5, the executive justified the measure, which will be in force from 00:00 to 24:00 on Thursday, considering the impact of collective public passenger transport in the region, particularly in Funchal, “where a large part of the population lives, works, and studies.”
HF warned in a statement of potential disruptions on Thursday, warning that “the regular operation of routes will be affected.”
Taxis
In the taxi sector, both the National Association of Road Transport in Light Vehicles (Antral) and the Portuguese Taxi Federation (FPT) submitted a strike notice.
In a note to Lusa, FPT President Carlos Silva defended the constitutional right to strike, stating there is “no reason for fear or concern regarding the announced general strike.”
“It is the social moment that leads to the event,” he said, adding that he cannot predict “the level of adherence by members” or “the impact on the city’s mobility.”
“However, the demand for public taxi service cannot override the individual liberty of each member,” he concluded.
