Lisbon, Oct. 24, 2024 (Lusa) - The partial strike by passenger train operator CP - Comboios de Portugal ticket inspectors and ticket office workers had led to the cancellation of 67 Lisbon urban trains by 12 noon on Thursday, a company source told Lusa.
According to the source, between midnight and midday 67 of the 246 scheduled Lisbon urban trains were cancelled: 25 trains in Alverca/Azambuja and Castanheira do Ribatejo, 34 in Sintra/Meleças and Oriente and eight on the Sado line.
There were no cancellations on the Long Haul, Regional, Urbanos do Porto and Urbanos de Coimbra services, according to CP.
CP ticket inspectors and ticket office workers began a strike today that will last until 3 November, with the operator anticipating disruption to train services, especially on 31 October.
In a note published on its website, the rail operator said that "due to the strike called by the SFRCI union [‘Railway Union for Travelling Commercial Inspection’] between 24 October and 3 November 2024", the company anticipates disruptions to operations.
Today and Friday, the days of the partial strike, the operator has warned of the impact on Lisbon's urban commuters, with a particular impact on the Sintra, Azambuja and Sado Lines.
On 28, 29 and 30 October, also partial strike days, CP expects disruption on the Regional/InterRegional, Coimbra Urban and Porto Urban services.
On 31 October, when the stoppage will be total, for 24 hours, disruption is expected on the Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Regional/InterRegional, Urbanos and Internacional Celta.
According to a minimum services ruling published on the Economic and Social Council (CES) website, on 31 October, with the "exception of long-distance trains, all trains on the Lisbon and Porto urban, regional and interregional lines will run between 6am and 7.30am in the morning and between 6.30pm and 8pm in the evening, in the exact terms foreseen before the notice was presented".
For the rest of the strike period, of partial paralysis, the court decreed only minimum services necessary for security, maintenance, emergency services and the like.
"On the remaining days there may be occasional disruption," namely on the Lisbon Urban and Intercity services between the Algarve and Lisbon, CP also said.
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 driver pay.
PD/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
