Lisbon metro shut for 24-hour strike on 14 October, with no minimum services

What is happening

Lisbon's metro will be shut for the whole of Wednesday, 14 October, after six trade unions called a 24-hour strike. The stoppage runs from 05:00 on Wednesday until 05:00 on Thursday, 15 October, and the company said service would resume at 06:30 that day. On Tuesday, 13 October, the metro announced the closure of its stations and the halt of its services, citing the strike called by unions representing its workers. A note from the Economic and Social Council, published on Saturday, 10 October, said the arbitration tribunal had decreed no minimum services, as had also been the case for the earlier stoppage on 9 April.

The six unions behind the action are the Fectrans federation, which is affiliated with the CGTP-IN confederation, the STTM, SINDEM, SITRA, SITESE and STMETRO. SAPO reports that the strike mainly involves operations supervisory staff, with a focus on the central command post (PCC) and the traction posts, which the articles describe as essential to running the network, so the disruption could reach the whole system.

What the unions say

The unions cite a shortage of staff, delays in recruitment and training, continued recourse to overtime and longer shifts, and the practical hollowing out of supervisors' functions. They also point to pressure on workers, excessive bureaucracy and the absence of concrete measures with verifiable deadlines. In a statement, Fectrans presented the decision as a response to the company's failings:

The strike comes in the face of the company administration's non-compliance and lack of concrete responses since the signing of the 13 April 2026 agreement.

The unions reject the claim that the stoppage is disproportionate. They say they remained willing to negotiate since April, sent letters, requested specific meetings on the supervisors of the Operations Directorate and reviewed documents the company presented, yet they judged the answers insufficient. Their statement also says the strike does not stem from a merely interpretive disagreement, but from concrete problems.

The administration's response

The metro's board called the strike 'disproportionate' and said it would affect 600,000 users, who would be deprived of the service. Observador reports that after a meeting on Monday, 12 October, requested by the company, the board said the April agreement is being honoured and called on the unions to call the strike off. The company still says it is available to keep talking with the union organisations and to find balanced solutions that protect workers' rights. The unions say the replies they received have been insufficient, so the two sides remain apart on whether the deal has been kept.

The April agreement and the earlier stoppage

A 24-hour strike went ahead on 9 April 2026. A second one, planned for 14 April, was called off after a meeting on 13 April between the metro administration and Fectrans, which produced an agreement on staff reinforcement, restoring headcounts across job categories, respecting schedules and rest periods, and training supervisors and inspectors. Unions say that only a few days later they had to warn the board again about situations that contradicted the understanding. The administration maintains the commitments are being met. The unions now demand full compliance, reinforced staffing in the PCC and traction areas, respect for rest periods, and the restoration of supervisory functions in the Operations Directorate.

Service and timing

The metro will not run from 05:00 on Wednesday, 14 October, until service resumes at 06:30 on Thursday, 15 October, and no minimum services will apply during the stoppage. The sources report no new meeting after the strike and no further date for talks. The timeline below sets out the key dates in the dispute.

1. Apr 9, 2026First 24-hour strike goes ahead
2. Apr 13, 2026Agreement reached after a meeting with Fectrans
3. Apr 14, 2026Second planned strike called off
4. Oct 13, 2026Metro announces strike and station closures for 14 October
5. Oct 14, 05:00 AM24-hour strike begins
6. Oct 15, 06:30 AMService set to resume