Lisbon, Aug. 8, 2024 (Lusa) - Portugal's train operator, CP - Comboios de Portugal, has warned of the possibility of "occasional disruptions to traffic" due to a strike called by two unions between August 9 and 31, with a special focus on August 15.
"We inform passengers that, due to a strike called by the Sinfb [National Independent Railway Workers' Union] and Stmefe [Metro and Railway Workers' Union] unions, between August 9 and 31, 2024, occasional traffic disruptions are expected, which may be more pronounced on August 15," reads a notice on the carrier's website.
CP reached an agreement last month with 11 unions, and a strike planned for that time was called off, but the two unions do not agree with what was presented.
Speaking to Lusa, 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 it then 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.
The strike will cover overtime work between August 9 and 31, with the exception of August 15, when it will last 24 hours and will affect work in CP's workshops, he explained.
According to the union official, the strike "will jeopardize trains because maintenance will not be carried out".
The CP workers' strike at the end of July was suspended after an agreement was reached in principle for wage increases and career regulation, a union source said.
"Under the terms of the agreement, all wage rates will be updated by a further 1.5% from August 1, 2024 and the meal allowance will rise to €9.20," reads a statement published by the Federation of Transport and Communications Unions (Fectrans) on July 23.
CP said in a statement that after a meeting with representatives of several unions (ASCEF, ASSIFECO, FENTCOP, SINAFE, SINDEFER, SINFA, SINTTI, SIOFA, SNAQ, SNTSF and STF) it was possible to reach an agreement.
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).
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