It started as a threat but is now a certainty. After more than five hours of meeting between ANTRAM, SNMMP and SIMM (Independent Union of Freight Drivers), the two unions delivered a strike notice for 12 August.
According to the unions, the strike is due to the fact that ANTRAM has now denied having accepted the agreement for gradual increases in the base salary until 2022: 700 euros in January 2020, 800 euros in January 2021 and 900 euros in January of 2022.
What do unions say?
At the end of the meeting at the headquarters of the General Directorate of Labor Relations (DGERT), of the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity, in Lisbon, Pedro Pardal Henriques, vice president of the SNMP spoke on behalf of the two unions, starting by accusing ANTRAM of “giving what is said for what is not said”.Subscribe to our newsletter
According to Pedro Pardal Henriques, ANTRAM does not want to recognize the gradual increase it had promised, which is the reason why the unions will move forward with a new strike, adding: “If ANTRAM goes back on this ridiculous posture, it is having to give it away otherwise, the strike will be called off”.
Pedro Pardal Henriques stated: "What is at issue here is not January 2020, because ANTRAM accepted this", clarifying that the reason for the divergence is the values for 2021 and 2022.
Lastly, the union leader also claimed to have the support of the Spanish unions and declared “Having Spanish drivers on our side is very important (…) Companies will no longer be able to break the strike”.
And what do companies say?
If the unions accuse ANTRAM of saying “said for unsaid”, the companies already claim that they intend to “deceive the media by saying that ANTRAM had already accepted the increases of 100 euros in 2021 and 2022, when the protocols contradict the negotiated".
André Matias de Almeida, ANTRAM's representative at the meeting this Monday, accuses the unions of presenting the strike notice “without even knowing ANTRAM's counter-proposal of 300 euros in January 2020”, stating that they “want to do it. a strike this year because of an increase in 2022”.
According to ANTRAM, the problem of wage requirements is in the financial capacity (or lack thereof) of transport companies claiming that if they can accommodate an increase of approximately 300 euros in 2020, the increases required for the following years leave them at risk of bankruptcy .
Finally, the representative of ANTRAM declared that the unions will have to "explain to the country now why they will be on strike when the Portuguese want to enjoy their right to go on vacation" stating "the unions were not even able to explain where we allegedly failed".
What do we stay on?
With the Government stating that it is prepared to face a new strike (and avoid the near-chaos scenario that occurred in April), the most likely is that from August 12th it will even return to witness a new strike by drivers of hazardous materials, which this time also join other drivers.
This is because at the end of yesterday's meeting, ANTRAM assured that it will not meet again with the SNMMP and SIMM until they withdraw the strike notice. Drivers, on the other hand, do not withdraw prior notice until the negotiations are closed, that is, there is most likely to be a strike.