Hundreds of trains have been canceled since Friday in Portugal due to the railway workers’ strike. The strikers demand a purchasing power bonus for dealing with them Rising prices.
On Monday, 278 of the 427 trains scheduled until 10am (11am in Paris) were cancelled, according to a report by Portuguese Railways (CP). However, the minimum service, equivalent to 25% of scheduled trains, has made it possible to limit the impact of this traffic.
Since the first day of the strike on Friday, this strike has already removed more than 1,100 trains, according to CP. This move of railway workers will have consequences for railway traffic in “the days preceding and following the strike periods,” as well as on January 1, the railway company warned.
Other sectors went on strike over the weekend
“We are aware that it is impossible to compensate for the loss of purchasing power,” but “we demand a reward that can help us adapt” to the rise in prices this year, explained to public television RTB Antonio Pereira, president of the Independent Railway Workers Union (SINFB), which is one Of the eight that called for this mobilization. According to the unionist, who does not rule out new movements next year, the percentage of strikers rose to “nearly 80%” on Monday.
In addition to railway workers, other sectors are also calling for higher wages. Employees of call or distribution and trading centers also noted strike days over the weekend.
Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa admitted in his Christmas message Sunday night that “inflation has reached levels not seen in three decades.” He pledged to do everything he could to continue to support families and the economy.
