Urban hygiene workers in the municipality of Lisbon will be, from this Wednesday until January 2nd, on strike for overtime work, in addition to a two-day general strike, on Thursday and Friday.
Called by the Lisbon Municipal Workers’ Union (STML) and the National Union of Local Administration Workers (STAL), the strike in the area of urban hygiene, between Christmas and New Year, will have minimum services, decreed for Thursday -Friday, Saturday and Saturday (December 26th to 28th).
The arbitration panel of the General Directorate of Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP) decreed as minimum services the carrying out of 71 daily garbage collection circuits, involving 167 workers, including street cleaners and drivers of heavy machinery and special vehicles, which, according to the STML, represents “about 1/3 of the work” that occurs in a normal day.
Disagreeing with the decision of the DGAEP arbitration board, as they consider that “these are maximum minimum services” and represent “a limitation on the right to strike”, STML and STAL presented, on Monday, a challenge to the courts, with a complaint and a precautionary measure to “annul” or “minimize” the minimum services decreed.
The general strike of urban hygiene workers in Lisbon was called for December 26th and 27th (Thursday and Friday), in addition to an overtime strike, between December 25th and 31st, and a strike on New Year’s Day. New, only available at night, for normal and extra work, between 10pm on the 1st and 6am on the 2nd of January.
The unions justify carrying out the strike with the lack of responses from the municipal executive, led by Carlos Moedas (PSD), to the problems affecting the urban hygiene sector, in particular compliance with the agreement signed in 2023, which provides, for example, works and interventions in the facilities.
Within the scope of urban hygiene problems in Lisbon, 45.2% of the vehicles essential for removal are inoperable, 22.6% of the workforce is physically reduced or on leave due to work accidents and there is a deficit of 208 workers, according to STML.
Still according to the STML, “every week, countless circuits remain undone”.
The Lisbon Chamber assured that the agreement signed in 2023 is being fulfilled and tried to negotiate with the unions so that the strike could be called off, having even appealed for the support of the 24 parish council presidents, but without success.
Despite having decreed minimum services, the unions expected “a great support” for the strike, according to the president of STML, Nuno Almeida, told Lusa.
To minimize the effects of the strike, the Lisbon City Council decided to implement a set of measures (namely, creating a crisis management team, available 24 hours a day; distributing construction containers in various areas of the city for waste disposal; asking citizens that they do not place trash on the street, especially paper and cardboard;
There is also general advice from Lisbon City Council for strike days, such as minimizing waste production; if possible, keep the rubbish at home until collection resumes; do not place trash on the floor or around trash cans and recycling bins; and pack the cardboard well, allowing more space inside the container.
Source: rr.sapo.pt
