Funchal, ~Portugal, Aug. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - The government of Madeira has asked Portugal's central government to adopt measures to ensure the supply of natural gas to the autonomous region during the strike by REN Atlântico workers, scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday.
Madeira's Regional Secretary for the Economy, José Manuel Rodrigues, made the request in a letter sent on Thursday to the minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, the official's office reported on Friday.
José Manuel Rodrigues alerted the minister to «the potential impact of the strike by workers responsible for operating the Sines liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on supplies to Madeira», the document said.
The Madeiran official emphasised that natural gas is «essential to the operation of the Vitória Thermal Power Station», a facility which, according to the regional Department of Economy, accounts for around «35% of the region's thermal power generation capacity».
According to José Manuel Rodrigues, maintaining uninterrupted supplies during the strike period will safeguard the power station's production capacity and support «the security and reliability of the electricity supply to the population and to Madeira's economic activities».
The regional secretary is calling on the Ministry of the Environment and Energy «to implement and ensure the provision of minimum services» deemed essential to maintaining the supply of natural gas to the region between 23 and 25 August.
He also maintains that «the supply must be treated as an essential service, citing the need to preserve the continuity, stability and safety of Madeira's electricity system, as well as the principle of territorial continuity».
Workers at REN Atlântico, which operates the Sines LNG terminal, plan to strike between 23 and 25 August, seeking an early retirement scheme to recognise the demands of shift work.
SITE Sul and Fiequimetal called the strike, which forms part of a series of industrial actions that, according to the trade union, have been ongoing since 2012.
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