Port workers union suspends strike thanks to new minister’s ‘openness’
"We decided to call off the strike," said Serafim Gomes, president of the National Union of Workers of Port Administrations (SNTAP) after a meeting with the new minister of infrastructures.
A strike by Portugal’s port workers, which began on 22 December and was to run until 30 January, has been called off thanks to the “openness to dialogue” shown today by the minister of infrastructure, announced officials for the union that had called the action.
“We decided to call off the strike,” said Serafim Gomes, president of the National Union of Workers of Port Administrations (SNTAP), in statements to Lusa after a meeting with the new minister of infrastructures, João Galamba. “We started by issuing the strike notice precisely because of the absence of dialogue and the minister was very open to dialogue – an open, frank dialogue – and showed great availability for projects to give the ports the importance they truly have.”
According to Gomes, the union takes the view that the minister “needs some time to carry out his ideas” after taking office, so it decided to “give him a vote of confidence” and a grace period of three months in order to assess “the projects he has [for the sector] and that will involve, also, the resolution of the problems on the table regarding the workers.”
