Lisbon, Oct. 18, 2024 (Lusa) - Portugal's incumbent rail operator, CP - Comboios de Portugal, on Friday warned of disruptions between 24 October and 3 November, with particular incidence on 31 October, due to a strike called by the Railway Union for Itinerant Commercial Revision (SFRCI).
In a note published on its website, the railway operator said that "due to a strike called by the SFRCI union between 24 October and 3 November 2024", the company anticipates disruptions to operations.
Thus, on 28, 29 and 30 October, when there will be a partial strike, CP expects disruption to the Regional/InterRegional, Coimbra Urban and Porto Urban services.
On 31 October, when there will be a total stoppage for 24 hours, "severe disruption is expected on all services (Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Regional/InterRegional, Urbanos and Internacional Celta)", including "some disruption the following day".
"On the remaining days there may be occasional disruption," particularly on the Lisbon Urban and Intercity services between the Algarve and Lisbon.
"If minimum services are defined, this information will be updated," the company said.
Contacted by Lusa, the union confirmed the stoppage, indicating that the strikes will be partial, lasting two hours at the start of each shift, with a 24-hour stoppage on 31 October.
According to a source from the SFRCI, which represents CP's ticket office workers and ticket inspectors, these strikes are motivated by what they say is "non-compliance with the agreement" they signed in July last year with the operator.
The protest ‘has to do with pay’ and, according to the union, the agreement provides for a "transport and availability allowance premium to be added to the basic salary", something that would bring advantages to the workers. The union wants a better balance in terms of train drivers' pay.
"The agreement was signed in the past, it was validated by the supervisory body last year, it's in this year's draft state budget," the union said, pointing out that "the company has the money, but it doesn't produce the application of the agreement," which was scheduled to start on 1 December 2023.
"This is the first time we've had agreements signed with management not being fulfilled," it criticised, regretting that they had to revisit "a labour dispute that was closed".
Last year, CP was affected by several strikes called by the company's unions, a situation that was resolved with an agreement signed with the unions.
In the notice published today, the operator told customers who "already have tickets purchased to travel on trains of the Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Internacional, InterRegional and Regional services" that "it will allow a refund, for the full value of the ticket purchased, or its free exchange for another train of the same category and in the same class".
This process can be carried out on the carrier's website or at ticket offices.
"After this deadline, and up to 10 days after the end of the strike, a refund can be requested by filling in the online contact form 'Refund for Delay or Cancellation', sending a scan of the original ticket," the company concluded.
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