Since the installation of the current government in June 2011, 473 days out of a total 887 saw industrial action in the transport sector. There seems little hope of a trend reversal, as unions of the Lisbon metro, national railways, ferry service and bus drivers all announced new strikes and overtime bans for the remaining months of 2013. The workers are protesting against more salary cuts in the 2014 budget, applying to all employees with monthly salaries over €675. They also object to the suspension of pension supplements for companies registering losses and cuts in allowances for meals, overtime and night shifts. Illustrating the poor relationship between the government and the transport sector, the former has announced it will not negotiate with trade unions using strikes as a pressure method.
English: http://theportugalnews.com/news/transport-turmoil/29961
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.