Hundreds of thousands left high and dry as government labels strike “unacceptable”
Today (Friday) sees the third consecutive day in which rail unions have stopped people travelling by train. Hundreds of thousands of commuters trying to get to work have yet another logistical nightmare as politicians split hairs over what this is all about.
For the government fighting an election campaign, the strike is “being used as part of a political campaign” by the left. For the left, it is being described as a “legitimate form in which workers can fight for their rights”.
Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos has already slammed the government for what he sees as its “negligence and incompetence” in being unable to deal with crises – suggesting that if the social-democrat coalition (AD) is returned in the elections on May 18 it will meddle with strike laws (to workers’ disadvantage).
Pedro Nuno Santos’ stance may well impress Socialist die-hards, but it won’t assuage the legions of people whose lives have been completely disrupted by three days without trains running. Those citizens could be cheered to hear that an incoming AD government intends to see that strike laws are “proportionate”, and do not “bring the country to a halt” (as the PM described what is happening yesterday).
As for the unions’ beef, the government continues to insist that it is not in a position to respond to a number of the demands, by dint of being only in ‘caretaking mode’ until the results of the elections.
Why minimum services were not decreed has been answered by the Court of Arbitration, which says it was told by CP (Comboios de Portugal, the railway network manager) that these could not guarantee the physical safety of passengers.
In a statement, CP also explains this massive disruption to vast numbers of working people – not to mention students and school pupils – is not just one strike. It is a series of strikes “called by various unions, in the exercise of the right to strike, provided for in Article 57 of the Constitution”.
The sheer number of unions involved is staggering*, which does in fact lend weight to the suspicion that this is a strike that has been instrumentalised for the purposes of the election campaign. The big question is will this instrumentalisation ‘work’ – or will it backfire and see people voting for politicians who don’t side with the unions against the welfare of the general public? (Post-election note: if this was political instrumentalisation, it backfired massively: the social democrat/ centre right was returned to power, albeit still without a majority, but PS Socialists were hammered. They are no longer even the ‘second party in opposition’: that position has now gone to right-wing party CHEGA).
A new opinion polls suggests that in spite of all the left-wing attacks, the AD coalition is still ‘ahead’, albeit unlikely to command an absolute majority.
*Unions backing the current strike action, that potentially extends to May 13: The Trade Union Association of Intermediate Railway Managers (ASCEF), the Independent Trade Union Association of Commercial Railwaymen (ASSIFECO), the Federation of Transport and Communications Trade Unions (FECTRANS), the National Trade Union of Transport, Communications and Public Works (FENTCOP), the National Trade Union of Railwaymen of the Movement and Similar (SINAFE), the National Democratic Trade Union of the Railway (SINDEFER), the Independent Union of Infrastructure and Related Railway Workers (SINFA), the National Independent Union of Railway Workers (SINFB), the National Union of Transport and Industry Workers (SINTTI), the Independent Union of Railway and Related Operators (SIOFA), the National Union of Technical Staff (SNAQ), the National Union of Railway Workers (SNTSF), the Railway Transport Union (STF), the Union of Metro and Railway Workers (STMEFE), Drivers’ Union (SMAQ) and the Itinerant Commercial Revision Railway Union (SFRCI).
Source: LUSA/ SIC Notícias/ Expresso
