Lisbon Metro Strike Tonight: Complete 24-Hour Shutdown Begins at 11 PM

The Lisbon Metro will shut down entirely on Tuesday, April 14, 2025, marking the second full-scale strike in April. Metro service will close at 11 PM on Monday, April 13 and resume at 6:30 AM on Wednesday, April 15—a complete 24-hour labor action that will leave commuters scrambling for alternatives.

Strike Timeline at a Glance:

• Service stops: 11 PM Monday, April 13

• Service resumes: 6:30 AM Wednesday, April 15

• All four lines affected: Yellow, Blue, Green, and Red

• No minimum service guaranteed

Unlike many European transport stoppages, no minimum service has been mandated, meaning all four metro lines will remain closed. The Arbitration Court at Portugal's Economic and Social Council declined to enforce minimum passenger service, ruling only that critical safety and maintenance staff must report. That decision, despite appeals from Metro de Lisboa management, hands enormous disruption power to a small group of workers whose roles are deemed operationally indispensable.

What You Need to Know Right Now

• Plan your commute now: Leave 45–60 minutes of extra time if you must travel

• Use Carris buses: The Lisbon bus operator will reinforce key corridors linking Baixa, Marquês de Pombal, and Campo Grande, but expect severe crowding and delays

• Check real-time updates: Monitor Carris and STCP apps for bus schedules and delays

• Consider alternatives: Remote work, adjusted schedules, or ride-hailing apps (expect higher prices during peak hours)

• If you bike: Infrastructure will be strained with extra riders

Why This Matters

• Second strike in one week: The previous stoppage on April 9 achieved 100% participation among targeted job categories

• The pattern of disruption: This is part of ongoing labor friction between Metro management and frontline supervisors over workplace conditions, not wages

• Small staff, massive impact: A small number of critical workers—inspectors, Central Command Post supervisors, and Traction and Energy Control personnel—can cripple the entire network when absent

What Workers Are Demanding

This is not about pay raises. Workers demand enforcement of 2019 training and work-organization commitments that management has allegedly ignored. Sara Gligó, an official with the Transport and Communications Unions Federation (FECTRANS), outlined specific grievances:

• Function creep: Single supervisors forced to cover two management posts simultaneously, a practice unions say violates safety protocols and exhausts staff

• Workplace harassment: Allegations of moral and professional harassment, with no credible assurances from management that the behavior will stop

• Blocked shift swaps: The company refuses to approve direct shift trades between employees, a flexibility workers consider standard

• Role erosion: Newly created senior technician positions have taken on traditional inspector responsibilities, undermining supervisors' authority

Metro management met with union representatives before the April 9 strike, offering concessions the company described as "robust." Yet workers voted unanimously to proceed anyway. A similar dynamic unfolded before Tuesday's stoppage, suggesting Metro's proposals remain inadequate.

The Bigger Picture

Tuesday's strike is the latest in a series of work stoppages since May 2024, when Metro employees launched labor actions over working conditions and contract violations. The strikes in recent months have revolved around meal allowances, weekly hour limits, and professional development commitments that remain unresolved.

April's twin strikes mark a tactical shift: rather than broad demands affecting all workers, unions now target leverage points—small job categories whose absence cripples the entire system. This maximizes disruption while limiting strike-related pay loss for the majority of Metro staff.

What Comes Next

Metro de Lisboa has issued an apology for the inconvenience and urged passengers to monitor official channels. However, the company has not disclosed whether fresh talks are scheduled after the strike, nor whether it plans to escalate the dispute to compulsory arbitration—a legal avenue that could impose a binding settlement.

Union leadership has signaled no intention to back down. The 100% participation rate in the April 9 strike and unanimous rejection of management's latest offer suggest deep worker solidarity and a belief that continued pressure will lead to concessions.

For Lisbon residents, the reality is clear: brace for additional disruptions until Metro management either honors its 2019 commitments or accepts a tribunal-imposed solution. In the meantime, bus passes, bicycles, and extra travel time remain your most reliable options.