Lisbon, Sept. 10, 2025 (Lusa) - Metropolitano de Lisboa (ML) has called on the workers' representative organisations to suspend the partial strike scheduled for Thursday, reiterating its openness to "serious and responsible" dialogue.
On Monday, ML workers went on a partial strike, which, according to the unions, had a "significant" turnout. The strike will be repeated on Thursday, without minimum services, to demand an increase in meal, holiday and Christmas allowances, and changes to the maximum weekly working hours.
Today, in a statement, ML reaffirms that from the outset it has sought to establish a constructive dialogue with the workers' representative organisations (ORT).
"Sensitive to the demands made, the company put forward two carefully structured negotiating proposals, based on the principles of the 2023 Company Agreement and compliance with the legal framework in force," the statement said.
According to the carrier, the "proposals include improving working conditions, including valuing professional categories and reducing the number of weekly working hours, as part of a broader strategy of technological modernisation and strengthening organisational efficiency".
For ML's Board of Directors, "these solutions constitute a solid, balanced and robust package, capable of helping to unblock the acceptance of the TSOs and to simultaneously ensure labour stability, professional development and the company's economic sustainability".
According to the company, the strike "is not justified" since the "solutions presented already constitute a robust and consistent compromise, capable of ensuring significant gains and advances for workers in terms of professional development, better working conditions and a better balance between personal and professional life".
For this reason, the carrier is appealing to the "good sense of the trade unions, stressing that serious and responsible dialogue is the only way to ensure fair benefits for the workers, stability for the company and the provision of a quality public transport service".
The workers decided on Monday to maintain the strikes after a plenary session in which the proposals put forward by the company were rejected.
The strike was scheduled 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.
The arbitration court did not decree minimum services for these partial strikes.
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 service usually runs from 6.30 a.m., but the company said that the strike would lead to a delay in opening until around 10.30 a.m., which was confirmed on Monday.
DD/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
