A nationwide general strike is planned in Portugal for December 11th,prompted by recent changes to the country’s labor laws. While many sectors anticipate disruption, the passenger transport industry is expressing cautious optimism that impacts will be limited. Industry association Antrop cites a decade of prosperous collective bargaining and a more fragmented union landscape as reasons for its relatively sanguine outlook, though acknowledging potential for broader national effects.
Portugal’s passenger transport sector doesn’t anticipate significant disruption from a planned general strike on December 11, according to industry association Antrop. The organization cites a history of limited work stoppages and a shift away from centralized union control as reasons for its relatively optimistic outlook.
“For our members, it doesn’t appear the impact will be very significant,” stated Luís Cabaço Martins, president of Antrop – Associação Nacional de Transporte de Passageiros. He was responding to questions regarding the expected effects of the nationwide strike.
“We have a relatively limited history of disruptions. We’ve been actively promoting collective bargaining and have reached agreements with all unions in the sector – from CGTP to UGT and independent unions – since 2015. We’ve had ten years of uninterrupted agreements with all unions,” Martins noted, adding that “this represents a sustained social peace built on a policy of collective negotiation.”
The strike, which centers on the country’s new labor legislation rather than issues specific to passenger transport, is still expected to have some impact, Martins conceded. He even acknowledged the possibility of unforeseen consequences. However, he believes the circumstances are “a priori” less conducive to widespread participation from transport workers.
Furthermore, Martins emphasized the diluted influence of major union federations CGTP and UGT within the passenger transport sector. “Nowadays, there isn’t a specific influence from a single central union. There are now various types of unions, particularly independent ones. The transport sector is more fragmented than it was 20 years ago, when CGTP held absolute dominance, followed by UGT,” he explained. “Now, that representation is widely distributed among various types of unions, some corporate and many independent.”
The situation could be different in other sectors, Martins pointed out, as some industries “traditionally experience more significant impacts” during general strikes. “Given that the strike was called by the two main union federations, I admit the impact at a national level could be greater,” he said.
