The unions representing the workers of the Lisbon Metro have expressed frustration in an open letter to the administration of the transport company. They urge management to focus on addressing specific issues rather than diverting attention with lengthy communications. The unions affirm their commitment to necessary developments to ensure social peace within the company, willing to meet as often as required for substantive discussions to resolve the conflict, expressing a willingness to avoid content-less meetings.
In response, the Lisbon Metro announced the suspension of services and the closure of all stations from 8:00 p.m. today due to a workers’ session scheduled by the unions from 9:15 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Friday, calling the event “unprecedented and unusual.” The unions criticize the administration for avoiding addressing real problems, emphasizing their interest in ensuring quality transportation every day of the year.
The unions state that their protest arises from unmet agreements, including reducing the standard workweek to 37.5 hours and adhering to company agreement criteria for internal competitions, among other issues. In a statement released Wednesday night, the Lisbon Metro highlighted the unions’ call for full worker participation without regard to urgent service needs, in light of the popular festival celebrations in Lisbon.
The administration reassures its dedication to quickly and effectively resolving current negotiation issues and maintaining an open, transparent, and responsible dialogue with worker representatives. Meanwhile, the Lisbon municipality has announced measures to counter the metro shutdown’s impact, including free Carris bus services from 6:00 p.m., despite an ongoing 24-hour strike by the urban transport operator.
The national train service, CP – Comboios de Portugal, will operate one train per hour on the Cascais Line and a train every 30 minutes on the Sintra Line during the night shutdown period, with two additional night services on the Azambuja Line, departing at 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. from Santa Apolónia. Fluvial transport services will be enhanced from Terreiro do Paço to Montijo/Seixal and Barreiro at 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
The municipality has also identified additional passenger pick-up and drop-off points for taxi and ride-share services in Martim Moniz, Praça da Alegria, and Marquês de Pombal. The Lisbon Metro typically operates four lines: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Telheiras-Cais do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia), and Red (Airport-São Sebastião), with usual operating hours from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
