Passengers travelling around Lisbon this week can expect their usual Metro service as usual after two planned strikes were cancelled, although the disagreement between workers and management is not over.
The partial walkouts had been scheduled for Wednesday, 28 October, and Friday, 30 October, between 5am and 10am, threatening disruption during one of the busiest periods of the day.
However, unions representing Lisbon Metro workers have withdrawn both strikes following a ruling by an arbitration tribunal requiring a minimum level of service.
The Metropolitano de Lisboa has confirmed that trains will operate normally on both days, with stations opening and services beginning at the usual time of 6:30 am.
For commuters, the announcement removes the immediate prospect of another difficult morning getting to work, school or appointments.
Why were the strikes cancelled?
The decision follows a disagreement over how much of the Metro network should remain operational during industrial action.
An arbitration tribunal ruled that approximately 25% of normal train services should continue running between 7am and 10am on all four Metro lines.
Under the arrangement, 26 of the network’s 56 stations would have remained open, with the remaining stations closed during the affected period.
The limited service was intended to maintain essential transport connections while allowing employees to exercise their right to strike.
The unions however, strongly disagreed with the ruling.
Sara Gligó, a representative of the transport unions Fectrans and STRUP, told Portuguese news agency Lusa that the conditions raised serious concerns about passenger and worker safety.
Union representatives also questioned whether employees who were not normally qualified for certain duties could be required to cover for the striking colleagues.
The unions argue that the ruling would undermine the effectiveness of industrial action and have criticised what they see as restrictions on workers’ right to strike.
These concerns are disputed by the Metro’s management, which has welcomed the tribunal’s decision and maintains that minimum services are important for passengers who depend on public transport.
The disagreement has been growing for some time.
Workers have raised concerns about staffing shortages, overtime, extended shifts and delays in training employees for supervisory roles.
The issues particularly affect staff working in the Metro’s central control operations and train operations departments.
An earlier strike on 14 October disrupted the network and affected thousands of passengers across the Lisbon metropolitan area.
According to the Metro’s management, measures are already being introduced to address some of these concerns.
These include a recruitment and training programme expected to be completed during the second half of December, alongside proposed changes to working hours and shift management.
The company says discussions with unions remain open and that it wants to reach an agreement without further disruption to passengers.
The unions, however, have made it clear that cancelling this week’s strikes is not abandoning their demands.
They intend to meet with workers to discuss what action to take next.
For now, passengers can plan to use the Metro as normal on Wednesday and Friday.
All four lines, Blue, Yellow, Green and Red, are expected to operate their usual services, with no strike-related station closures planned.
The cancellation will be particularly welcome for people travelling through Lisbon during the morning rush hour, including those making connections with other public transport services.
Passengers should remain be aware however, that the industrial dispute remains unresolved, and further strikes could still be announced.
Anyone travelling in the coming weeks can check the Metropolitano de Lisboa’s official website for the latest service information.
For this week at least, Lisbon’s Metro passengers have been spared two mornings of disruption.