Portugal isn't completely paralyzed – But the CP strikes still hit hard 🚆💥

Personally affected: Two lives, one blockade 🕒💔

I work hybrid. Thankfully. Two days a week I take the bus into Lisbon. That’s manageable. Public transport options in the capital region are generally solid – buses, metro, ferries, even e-bikes. Like most locals, I have the €40 monthly Metropolitan pass – affordable by European standards, but still frustrating when the service you pay for keeps disappearing.

My fiancée? She’s been stuck in Cascais since day one of the strike. We’re not blowing money on Ubers. Thankfully, her workplace has provided a small studio apartment, but let’s be honest – it’s not home.

We’re tired of planning our weeks around train schedules that may or may not exist. This is no longer about convenience – it’s about dignity, structure, and quality of life. 🧭

The strike – Who, what, why? 🤝📣

14 unions are involved this year, including ASCEF, FECTRANS, SINFA, SNTSF, and more. Some, like SMAQ and SFRCI, are participating part-time. Their demands:

• Wage increases to match real purchasing power

• Implementation of agreed salary table reforms

• More staff and reasonable work schedules

• Meaningful collective negotiations with respect

In short: they want dignity on the job. And honestly, it makes sense. A train driver is responsible for hundreds of lives – often in overcrowded, outdated trains. The Cascais line still runs cars that are older than I am – over 60 years old.

A bus driver or train operator deserves a solid paycheck. They carry more real responsibility than many so-called CEOs, who get swapped out like underwear at the first sign of trouble. A train driver? They stay in the seat – until every passenger is safely off the train.

The extent of the shutdown 🚫📉

• No minimum services on May 7, 8, and 9 – complete standstill

• 100% strike participation on May 8 across all divisions

• Long-distance (Alfa Pendular, Intercidades), tourist routes (Lisbon–Faro), and commuter lines like Lisbon–Cascais all affected

• Airports, universities, hospitals – all impacted

Even the so-called rescue trains can only do so much. And when CP says, "Only trains already in motion will finish their trips," it feels like something out of a dystopian novel. 📕🛑

Refunds and reality 💳🧾

Yes, CP allows free cancellations and rescheduling. Great – if you're quick. You have until 15 minutes before departure online or at a counter. After that? You’ve got 10 days to fill out an online form.

But let's be real: who thinks about refund forms while racing to make it to a wedding, job interview, hospital, or flight?

CP apologizes – and sues ⚖️📢

CP has issued an apology – and at the same time launched legal action against the arbitration court that ruled against requiring minimum services. Their claim: this violates citizens’ right to work, health, and education.

The court’s response: enforcing minimum services would violate the right to strike. And so the wheels stop – and we’re stuck.

Life in Lisbon: Waiting, alternatives, and tourists 😒🌊

If you live in Lisbon, this feels painfully familiar. Every summer, the same routine. Trains stop. People sigh. Buses overflow. Uber prices spike. Beach plans get scrapped. And the city is packed with tourists, many of whom have no idea what’s going on.

The Cais do Sodré – Cascais line is iconic. Beautiful, essential, irreplaceable. It’s also the first to vanish during disputes. And still, there’s no plan to keep it running when labor actions strike. 🤷‍♂️

Hybrid work is a blessing – but not a solution 💻🚌

I’m lucky to work from home most days. But many don’t have that option. They rely on trains. They make plans. And then – those plans fall apart.

Even if you only go to the office twice a week, you know the tension. The app-checking. The silent question: “Will I make it today?”

The Cascais story – so close, so far 🏠📍

And then there’s my fiancée. Still in Cascais. Her company gave her a studio – small, quiet, functional. But not home.

We talk over Wi-Fi. We joke about the strike. But the distance? It’s more than just kilometers.

When politics meets cobblestones 🛣️🎭

Strikes are part of democracy. They matter. But when they become seasonal chess matches, something’s broken. We need to protect workers’ rights without breaking national infrastructure.

Portugal can do better. CP can do better. So can the government. Because if people stop trusting the system – if they stop using trains altogether – it’s not just a labor conflict anymore. It’s a loss of public faith.

What needs to change 🔄🧩

• Transparent negotiations, published for public scrutiny

• A real minimum service framework that respects both sides

• Fair wages, better hours, more staff

• Investment in resilient infrastructure

• Emergency shuttle systems during strike periods

And now? 🍺📱

I’m sipping a beer and waiting for the next CP press release. My Wi-Fi works. My bus pass is topped up. My patience? A bit thin. But hey – at least I’m not stuck on the platform.

And neither are you – feel free to share your story in the comments below. 👇

 

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📅 Written: May 2025
✍️ Author: Bodo K. – Somewhere between Lisbon and Cascais