The National Independent Railwaymen’s Union (Sinfb) has called a new strike at CP between August 29 and September 9, from the sixth hour of service and overtime work, demanding that careers be upgraded.
According to Sinfb leader António Pereira, who told Lusa today, the strike notice was delivered at the beginning of the week and covers all categories of workers at the company.
According to the document, the workers “are fighting for a decent career regulation that values the functional and salary content of all”.
Thus, according to the notice, “between 00:00 on August 29, 2024 and 24:00 on September 9, 2024, all workers will strike from the 6th hour of service” and “overtime work, including work on weekly rest days”.
“On services lasting more than six hours and ending outside the head office, workers in the ORV [Overhaul and Sales Operators] category will strike as soon as the train departs,” he says.
“However,” it adds, “whenever the sixth hour of service on a journey takes place in transit, the worker goes on strike on the last passage through their headquarters, even if it happens before the sixth hour of service is reached.
The notice also states that “during the strike period, shifts with scheduled meal times may not be altered”.
This strike will partially overlap with another called by Sinfb and the Metro and Railway Workers’ Union (Stmefe), which began on August 9 and runs until August 31, but which only covers workers in CP’s maintenance workshops and focuses on overtime work.
The exception was the August 15 holiday, which lasted 24 hours.
Although, according to António Pereira, there was 100% adherence to the 24-hour strike on the holiday, it didn’t cause any traffic restrictions because there were no breakdowns that required repair in the workshops.
This strike by CP workshop workers continues until the 31st, but only for overtime work, and has so far not caused any disruptions.
Even so, CP warns on its website of the possibility of “occasional traffic disruptions” until the end of the month.
Last month, CP reached an agreement with 11 unions, and a strike planned for that time was called off, but Sinfb and Stmefe did not agree with what was presented.
The operator had also already reached an agreement with the National Union of Portuguese Railway Train Drivers (SMAQ) and the Itinerant Commercial Review Railway Union (SFRCI).
Speaking to Lusa on August 7, António Pereira, from Sinfb, said that the agreement that the other unions signed “was practically [the same as] the one presented two days earlier”, indicating that if they hadn’t agreed before, they weren’t going to do so on that date either.
“We’re fighting for career increments. The company wants to give us more work for the same money and we won’t accept that,” he said.
