Metro do Porto announced this Saturday that it will end its operations early on Monday due to the strike called by the Train Drivers’ Union, which demands payment of the annual performance bonus from the operator ViaPorto.
“Due to a strike called by SMAQ (National Union of Machinists of the Portuguese Railways), the Porto Metro will end its operation early, next Monday, December 30th, with the last matches to be registered, across the entire network, between 22:00 and 23:00“, can be read in a statement published by the carrier on its official website.
On the blue line (A), the last departures will be at 22:23 towards Senhor de Matosinhos and at 22:45 towards Estádio do Dragão, on the red line (B) at 22:11 towards Estádio do Dragão and 22:31 towards Póvoa de Varzim, and on the green line (C) at 22:21 towards Campanhã and at 22:51 towards ISMAI.
As for the yellow line (D), the last departure will be at 22:53 towards Hospital São João and at 23:03 towards Vila d’Este, on the violet line (E) at 22:44 towards Aeroporto and at 22: 57 towards Estádio do Dragão, and on the orange line (F) the last departures will be at 22:21 towards Senhora da Hora and at 22:49 towards Fânzeres.
The last circulations connecting to the yellow line (D) at Trindade station will depart at 22:11 from Póvoa de Varzim, at 22:21 from ISMAI and Fânzeres, at 22:27 from Aeroporto, at 22:30 from Senhor de Matosinhos , at 22:44 at Estádio do Dragão and at 22:52 at Senhora da Hora.
To connect the Yellow line (D) to the other lines in Trindade, the last circulation to leave Vila d’Este to connect to lines A and B leaves at 22:05, to connect to lines C and E it leaves at 22:20 and to call line F it leaves at 22:38.
From Hospital São João, at 22:10 the last vehicle leaves to connect to line A, at 22:20 to connect to line B, at 22:30 to connect to lines C and E and at 22:50 to connect to line F.
The Machinists’ Union announced on Friday a “total strike” in the operation of Metro do Porto on December 31st and January 1st, demanding the payment of the annual premium, not yet made, to the operator ViaPorto, from the Barraqueiro group.
According to an SMAQ press release sent to Lusa, the strike will also take effect on December 30th and January 2ndas the workers represented by SMAQ will be on strike “to provide additional work”.
On December 31st and January 1st, marked by the usual influx of public to the center of Porto for New Year’s Eve, and when the subway normally runs throughout the night, “the workers represented by SMAQ are on strike for of any and all work.”
Contacted by Lusa, SMAQ union leader assigned to Metro do Porto Hélder Silva said that the reasons for the strike are the same as those that led to the strike that took place between December 17th and 22nd.
At issue is “the company’s lack of compliance with the Company Agreement”, in this case ViaPorto, from the Barraqueiro group, which operates Metro do Porto, regarding the payment of an annual premium for 2023.
SMAQ also requests the “improvement of working conditions demanded by Viaporto, Lda. workers integrated into driving careers, with regard to non-duty trips” and the regularization of compensatory rest periods.
Already ViaPorto, contacted by Lusa, referred to an internal note released at the time of the first strike, stating that SMAQ ignores “the reality of the company” by calling strikes.
In the company’s internal communication, ViaPorto said it had taken “the express care to inform the union that, currently, ViaPorto’s financial situation is unbalanced, as a result of awaiting the outcome of the processes to restore financial balance which depend on Metro do Porto SA and the Portuguese State”.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
