Lisbon, Dec. 3, 2024 (Lusa) - Employees of the company that runs Lisbon's metro system on Tuesday staged another partial strike, between 5 and 10 a.m., citing its failure to respond to their demands, according to the union federation that represents them, with services seen back to normal only from 10.30 a.m. onwards.
In a note published on its website, Metropolitano de Lisboa informs users that, due to the strike, services were set to be paralysed on Tuesday and on 10 December from the early hours of the morning, with circulation to be normalised from 10.30 a.m.
Normally, the service operates between 6.30 a.m. and 1 a.m. on the metro's four lines: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Telheiras-Cais do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia) and Red (Airport-São Sebastião).
"Throughout the period leading up to the date of the strikes, Metropolitano de Lisboa will continue to promote dialogue with the unions with a view to reaching an understanding that will allow the suspension of the aforementioned strikes," said the company.
Striking workers are demanding payment of the so-called variables, that is, extra pay for overtime and public holidays, and full compliance with the Company Agreement already in place.
Earlier this month, on 6 and 14 November, there were two partial stoppages with around 90% of workers taking pat, according to the Federation of Transport and Communications Unions (Fectrans), which resulted in all stations being closed until mid-morning.
Last week, unions said that the series of partial strikes could be suspended if they received a positive response to their demands from the board of directors.
Following a recent meeting with the management, Sara Gligó of Fectrans said that the company had promised that it would pay "this year the variables for 2023 and 2024, and that didn't happen."
Metropolitano de Lisboa clarified at the time that it has always paid "all remunerations" - including overtime and rest days - and that it has as yet had no court rulings obliging it to change anything: "There is no debt or overdue payment owed by Metropolitano de Lisboa E.P.E. to its workers."
DD/ARO // ARO.
Lusa
