The morning commute for Lisbon’s metro users faced a tough opening play today. Trains on all four lines, typically humming by 6:30 AM, stayed quiet. A partial strike by workers kept the service from starting as usual.
By late morning, however, the tide turned. The transport company’s official website reported “normal” service on all lines around 10:40 AM. This comeback followed the company’s own prediction of a 10:30 AM reopening.
This service halt wasn’t a snap decision. Workers held a meeting Monday night. They decided to reject proposals from the company. Because of this, the partial strikes scheduled for today and Thursday moved forward.
Different teams had different times for their stoppage. Operation staff walked out from 5 AM to 10 AM. Workshop sector workers were off the job from 7 AM to 12 PM. Fixed sector and administrative staff paused from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Night service and track workers held their strike earlier, from 2 AM to 7 AM.
The arbitration court did not order minimum services for these partial strikes. This meant the impact on daily travel was significant.
What are the workers playing for in this ongoing dispute? Their demands include higher meal, holiday, and Christmas subsidies. They also want changes to the maximum weekly work hours. Another round of disruption is set for Thursday.