The municipality has consistently accrued debt with the company, reaching unprecedented and unsustainable amounts in recent years. As of now, besides the 1.7 million euros claimed in the Arbitration Court, the municipality owes Transcunha more than 100,000 euros related to pass discounts and tariff adjustments since January 2025, according to a statement from the transport company of the Avic group, the current concessionaire of the public passenger transport service in Viana do Castelo, whose contract ends on September 22.
The Lusa agency contacted the municipality about this debt but has not yet received a response.
Concerning the company workers who, on Friday, considered striking to demand integration into the public transport service that the municipality will take over in September, the president of the Northern Road and Urban Transport Workers Union (STRUN) told Lusa today that they have decided not to proceed with the strike for now, awaiting the process’s developments.
Transcunha, throughout the 12 points of the statement, refutes information reportedly provided by the mayor, Luís Nobre, particularly regarding the company’s legal action in the labor court to integrate drivers into the service that the municipality assumes in September.
On June 9, Transcunha revealed its decision to appeal the ruling that declared the action unfounded, noting that the court sided with them, “but postponed the decision.”
On June 6, the mayor announced that the Labor Court declared the action filed by Transcunha to secure employment for its drivers unfounded, following the municipality’s decision to assume public transport.
Today, Transcunha emphasizes that “appealing is a legal right” and that “the ruling did not favor the municipality — it merely stated that documentary evidence was lacking at the time of the decision.”
In May, regarding the same labor court action, the mayor of Viana do Castelo stated that the municipality legally cannot integrate the 23 operators’ drivers into its staff, as all external advice sought “indicates the municipality is not obliged to retain the drivers.”
On Friday, the mayor stated that he advised Transcunha’s drivers to apply for a new tender the municipality will have to launch to hire more professionals, “just as they could have done in the first two procedures” initiated by the municipality.
