Strike at CP e Infraestruturas de Portugal forced the unloading of 447 trains
The strike at CP – Comboios de Portugal and Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) caused the unloading of 447 trains between 00:00 and 18:00 this Sunday, December 25, with 138 running, according to the fuel operator’s source.
A platform of various unions representing CP and IP workers called for a strike to provide all overtime work between 00:00 on December 24th and midnight on January 2nd, 2023, “namely on weekly rest or on official holidays”.
An official CP source told Lusa that by 6 pm today, Christmas Day, the minimum services provided had been met, with 138 trains circulating, with “the total scheduled up to 6 pm being 585”, which did not take place. 447.
The platform also called for 24-hour strikes for the 23rd and 26th of December, granted a financial prize, updated the food duty and ended the layoff between workers, according to the unions’ note.
Minimum services of 25% of trains were defined on the 23rd and 26th of December and for the holidays on the 25th of December and the 1st of January 2023.
The platform that called for the strike includes ASCEF – Trade Union Association of Intermediate Railway Operation Managers, ASSIFECO – Independent Trade Union Association, FENTCOP – National Union of Transport, Communications and Public Works, SINDEFER – National Democratic Union of Railways, SINFA – Independent Union of Railway Workers of Infrastructure and Related Workers, SINFB – National Independent Union of Railway Workers, SIOFA – Independent Union of Operational and Related Workers and STF – Union of Railway Transport.
The 24-hour strike called by CP and IP workers surprised, on December 23, 728 trains between 00:00 and 18:00, with 241 trains circulating, according to CP.
On Thursday, CP placed a note on its website warning of the forecast of “disturbances in the movement of trains, nationwide”, “with a possible impact on the days before and after the strike periods”, also lamenting the inconvenience caused.
Customers who had already purchased tickets for canceled trains can request a full refund of the amount, up to 10 days after the strike ended, or free revalidation for another train of the same category.
CP and IP workers also staged a strike on 30 November, which led to the cancellation of hundreds of trains.