Portugal Truckers’ Union Offers to Suspend Strike to Start Talks

(Bloomberg) -- Portuguese truck drivers, on strike for a fifth day over pay, said they are willing to temporarily suspend the protest to start negotiating a way out of the crisis that has led to disruptions at fuel stations across the country.

The National Union of Hazardous Materials Haulers, one of the main unions leading the stoppage, said that conditions are in place for all sides to talk and that it will suspend the strike as soon as a meeting that the government is expected to schedule with employer association Antram begins, according to a statement.

At 2:38 p.m. local time, 26% of Portugal’s 3,020 petrol stations were partially or totally out of fuel, according to the Ja Nao Da Para Abastecer website, which tracks data on the number of pumps in Portugal based on information it receives from citizens.

Also read: Truck Driver Strike Threatens Portuguese Oil Demand: BNEF

In the run-up to the strike, the government declared an energy emergency and demanded truckers maintain 50% of fuel deliveries to gas stations and 100% to airports. It also set limits on refueling at gas stations at 25 liters for light vehicles and 100 liters for trucks. The open-ended truck drivers’ strike began on Monday to protest against low wages. Unions representing the truck drivers are demanding an increase in their basic pay to 900 euros ($1,007) a month by 2022 from 630 euros a month today.

To contact the reporter on this story: Henrique Almeida in Lisbon at halmeida5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joao Lima at jlima1@bloomberg.net, Zoe Schneeweiss, Brendan Murray

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