Lisbon, Sept. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - Metropolitano de Lisboa announced on Monday that the arbitration court has not ordered minimum services for the partial strikes by metro workers scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, and that the service will only open from 10.30 a.m..
In a statement, Metropolitano de Lisboa said that the unions representing the workers have submitted a strike notice for 9 and 11 September, between 05:00 and 10:00, so the transport service will be affected during this period.
The company said it had "immediately" entered into negotiations with the workers' representative organisations and had presented two proposals for an agreement "which seek to balance the arguments put forward by the workers with the company's management objectives and the promotion of productivity, in accordance with the legal stipulations regarding the increase in the wage bill for the year 2025".
Metropolitano de Lisboa adds that it submitted a duly substantiated request to the Arbitration Court for the definition of minimum services, the aim of which was to ensure that trains would continue to run during strike periods, taking into account "the importance of the public service" it provides to the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
However, it adds, the arbitration body did not decree the proposed minimum services.
The company says that during the period leading up to the strike, "it has promoted, and will continue to promote, dialogue with the unions, with a view to reaching an understanding that will allow the suspension of the aforementioned strike" and says it hopes that "a structural and lasting understanding" will be possible, pointing out that a new workers' plenary session is scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
Metropolitano de Lisboa workers announced a week ago that they would hold partial strikes on 9 and 11 September, due to the "lack of answers to their demands".
The strike will take place from 05:00 to 10:00 for operations workers, from 07:00 to 12:00 for workshop workers, from 07:30 to 12:30 for fixed and administrative workers and from 02:00 to 07:00 for night and track workers.
Among the demands are an increase in meal, holiday and Christmas allowances and changes to the maximum weekly working hours.
The Lisbon Metro operates four lines daily: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Telheiras-Cais do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia) and Red (Airport-São Sebastião).
The metro normally runs between 06:30 and 01:00.
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