“The company wants to give us more work for the same money, and we won’t accept that”, says the union leader.
Portugal’s national independent railway workers’ union (Sinfb) has called for a new strike at railway operator CP between August 29 and September 9, starting at the sixth hour of work and covering overtime, calling for the enhancement of careers.
Sinfb leader António Pereira told Lusa news agency on Friday that the strike notice was handed in at the beginning of the week and covers all categories of workers at the company.
According to the document, the workers are “fighting for a decent career regulation that values the functional and salary content for all”.
Accordingly, under the notice terms, “between 00h00 on August 29 2024 and 24h00 on September 9 2024, all workers will strike from the 6th hour of work onwards” and “overtime work, including work on weekly rest days”.
“On services lasting more than six hours and ending away from the head office, workers in the ORV [Overhaul and Sales Operators] category will strike as soon as the train departs”, it says.
“However,” it adds, “whenever the sixth hour of service on a journey takes place in transit, the worker will go on strike on the last journey back to their headquarters, even if it takes place before the sixth hour of service is reached”.
The notice also states that “during the strike period, shifts with scheduled meal times may not be altered”.
This strike will partially overlap with another strike called by the Sinfb and the Metro and Railway Workers’ Union (Stmefe), which began on August 9 and runs until the 31st but only covers workers in CP’s maintenance workshops and focuses on overtime work.
The exception was the August 15 holiday, when the strike lasted 24 hours.
Although, according to António Pereira, there was 100% participation in the 24-hour strike on the public holiday (15th), it didn’t affect traffic because there were no breakdowns that required repairs in the workshops.
This strike by CP workshop employees continues until August 31, but only for overtime work, and so far, it has not caused any stoppages.
Even so, CP’s website warns of the possibility of “occasional traffic disruption” until the end of the month.
Last month, CP reached an agreement with 11 unions, cancelling a strike planned for that time, but Sinfb and Stmefe disagreed with what was presented.
The operator had also already reached an agreement with the National Union of Portuguese Railway Drivers (SMAQ) and the railway union for itinerant commercial revision (SFRCI).
Speaking to Lusa on August 7, António Pereira, from Sinfb, said that the agreement that the other unions signed “was practically [the same as] the one presented two days earlier”, indicating that if they hadn’t agreed before, they weren’t going to do so on that date either.
‘We’re fighting for career increments. The company wants to give us more work for the same money, and we won’t accept that”, concluded the Union leader.
LUSA
