The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing has said in a statement that the National Union of Portuguese Railway Drivers (SMAQ) has now formally announced the suspension of the strike that began on Thursday and was set to last until 14 July.

Negotiations between CP – Comboios de Portugal and SMAQ, mediated by the Secretary of State for Mobility, Cristina Pinto Dias, allowed “reaching an agreement on several labor matters, namely increases in wages and meal allowances, benefiting all workers from the company".

CP highlighted, in a statement, that the parties reached “an agreement regarding the career regulations”, stressing that SMAQ committed to ending the strike with immediate effect.

“The agreement now reached is extendable to all professional categories at CP, ensuring that all areas of the company benefit from the agreed improvements. We would like to express our gratitude to SMAQ for the dialogue and understanding demonstrated throughout the negotiations. Cooperation and openness to dialogue were fundamental to reaching this consensus, which promotes the well-being of workers and the efficiency of CP”, the company also highlighted.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, also welcomed “the understanding reached and the lifting of the strike announced by SMAQ”, according to the statement from his ministry.

Miguel Pinto Luz also reiterated “his stance of continuing dialogue with the sector’s unions”.

The strike by CP – Comboios de Portugal workers today led to the cancellation of 934 trains out of the 1,247 scheduled (74.9%) between 00:00 and 22:00, according to data sent to Lusa by the company.

The minimum services provided for the circulation of 318 trains, of which 313 actually circulated.

The general secretary of the Federation of Transport and Communications Unions (Fectrans), José Manuel Oliveira, highlighted to the Lusa agency that the strike “practically paralysed the company in all sectors of activity”.

José Manuel Oliveira had already said that what was at stake were low entry salaries, “very close to the national minimum wage”, as well as a reduced difference between the base and the top of the career ladder for CP workers, which is around 100 euros. As a result, as he pointed out, the company has fewer and fewer workers, despite the number of passengers and profits having increased."

Customers with tickets to travel on Alfa Pendular, intercity, international, and interregional trains can request a full refund or exchange.

Refunds can be made on CP's digital platforms, up to 15 minutes before the train leaves the customer's home station, or at the ticket offices.