Lisbon metro staff on another partial strike on Friday morning
In a statement, Lisbon Metro (ML) said that, as it is expected that circulation will be affected, "the transport service will start, predictably, from 09h30 am".
Lisbon Metro (ML) workers will go on another partial strike on Friday, between 05h00 am and 09h00 am, against the lack of working conditions in the operational area, with the service due to restart at 09h30 am.
In a statement, ML said that, as it is expected that circulation will be affected, “the transport service will start, predictably, from 09h30 am”.
According to Anabela Carvalheira, from the transport and communications trade union federation (Fectrans), the strike, the 10th since the beginning of the year, is based on the same reasons as the partial strikes held in March, on 14, 22 and April 29 and on May 4 and 18.
Speaking to Lusa, at the time of the previous strike, on May 18, the union member explained that the strike notice given by the unions had to do with working conditions, but also with “the lack of staff and the climate [installed in the company] by management in relation to the workers”.
At issue, she said, is an area of the company that “represents the train drivers and the workers in charge of the central command post”.
In practice, according to Fectrans, this is “a situation of unregulated schedules, lack of workers and bad working conditions”, which is added to “the great arrogance on the part of the management, which leads to workers reaching the limit of fatigue”.
On May 17, ML workers decided, in a plenary session, to deliver a strike pre-notice for the month of June for overtime work and special events.
On the night of Lisbon’s patron saint Santo António festivities, from June 12 to 13, the Green and Blue metro lines have had their timetable extended due to the popular festivities, which this year return to the street after two years without being held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Friday, the day of the strike, the four unions representing the workers (Fectrans, Federação dos Sindicatos de Transportes e Comunicações, STTM – Sindicato dos Trabalhadores da Tracção do Metropolitano de Lisboa, SINDEM – Sindicato Independente de Todos os Trabalhadores do Metropolitano de Lisboa and STMetro – Sindicato dos Trabalhadores do Metropolitano de Lisboa) will be received by the minister for the environment and climate action, Duarte Cordeiro.
The Lisbon Metro operates daily with four lines: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Telheiras-Cais do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia) and Red (Airport-São Sebastião).
Normally, the metro runs between 06h30 am and 01h00 am.
