Portugal General Strike 11 Dec 2025: Disruption Guide

If you live in Portugal or are planning a trip here this week, you’ve probably seen alarming headlines about a “Portugal strike on the 11th.” Here’s the updated picture as of Wednesday, 10 December 2025.

A nationwide general strike is still scheduled for Thursday, 11 December 2025. (Don’t confuse this with earlier, smaller transport strikes in September.) It’s a cross-sector walkout called by Portugal’s two largest union confederations, CGTP-IN and UGT, and remains the first general strike backed by both since 2013, in protest at the government’s proposed “Trabalho XXI” labour law reform.

Residents and visitors should expect significant disruption in transport, schools, hospitals, banking and public services. Since yesterday, more unions — including goods drivers and truckers — have formally joined, raising the risk of delays in deliveries and fuel logistics.

Note: All information below is current as of 10 December 2025 and may change if negotiations progress or new minimum-service rulings are issued.

Who Is Striking and Why? (What’s Changed)

The strike targets the government’s draft labour reform package, “Trabalho XXI”, which would alter more than 100 articles of the Labour Code.

Unions still describe the reform as a “retrocesso social” (social setback). Key points they oppose remain:

• Easier dismissals: Changes that would make it simpler for employers to fire workers for “just cause” and cut some procedural guarantees.
• Longer / more flexible hours: Broader use of individual “time banks”, allowing employers to vary daily hours more widely over the year without traditional overtime, up to a capped total.
• Weaker collective bargaining: Provisions unions say shift power towards company-level deals and give employers more leeway if there is no active collective agreement.

What’s new since yesterday: after talks with unions and employers, the government has dropped some of the most controversial ideas — including cuts to mandatory training hours, automatic penalties around self-certified sick leave, and forcing parents of young children onto night and weekend shifts. However, the core disputed measures on dismissals, working time and bargaining are still on the table, so CGTP and UGT are keeping the strike.

The government insists “Trabalho XXI” is needed to modernise labour rules and increase competitiveness, and says it remains open to negotiation — but both main union confederations say there is no realistic time to reach a full agreement before 11 December.

The Portugal Post is an independent news source for English-speaking audiences. Follow us here for regular updates: https://x.com/theportugalpost

What Will Be Closed or Disrupted on 11 December?

Minimum services are now formally defined in several essential sectors, but disruption will still be very broad.

Flights and Airports

This is where the biggest change since yesterday has happened: it’s no longer just a warning — airlines have already begun cancelling flights.

• SNPVAC (cabin crew union) and other aviation unions have confirmed participation, warning it will be “very difficult to operate flights” on 11 December.
• TAP Air Portugal has:
• • Blocked new bookings for 11 December on many routes.
  • Announced cancellation of most flights that day, operating only legally mandated minimum-service flights (limited connections on key domestic, island and long-haul routes)
  • Offered fee-free rebooking to dates typically within three days before or after the strike (roughly 8–14 December for many itineraries).

Other airlines using Portuguese airports are also adjusting schedules and cancelling services in advance. Expect:

• Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO): The vast majority of flights cancelled, with airports operating in “minimum mode” only.
• Faro, Madeira and Azores airports: Heavy disruption, with just a small set of protected flights to ensure connectivity.

Practical advice (updated):

• If you are booked to fly on 11 December, assume your flight will be changed or cancelled and check your booking immediately via airline apps or websites.
• Rebook to 10 or 12 December (or route via non-Portuguese hubs) wherever possible. Alternatives are already filling up.
• Under EU261, you are still entitled to re-routing and care (meals/hotel) if stranded, although cash compensation may not apply if the strike is treated as an “extraordinary circumstance”.

Trains, Metro, Buses and Ferries

Minimum services for land and river transport are now clearly defined.

Lisbon & National Rail

• CP (Comboios de Portugal – national rail):
• • Minimum-service trains have been designated across long-distance, regional and urban networks, typically around 25% of the normal timetable.
  • Many intercity, regional and suburban trains not listed as minimum services will be cancelled.
• Lisbon Metro:
• • The arbitration tribunal at the Economic and Social Council (CES) decided not to impose minimum services, so the Lisbon Metro will be completely closed on 11 December.
• Carris (Lisbon buses/trams):
• • Must keep 12 specific routes running, plus services for passengers with reduced mobility. Expect full buses and long waits.
• Ferries (Transtejo/Soflusa):
• • Required to operate 25% of normal services during peak hours 06:00–09:30 and 18:30–20:00 only. Outside those windows, services may be extremely sparse or stopped.

Porto & Other Cities

• Urban trains and buses also have minimum-service rulings; patterns are similar to Lisbon — significantly reduced and irregular, but not totally stopped.
• Some urban and inter-municipal bus operators have signalled very high strike adherence, so even where services exist on paper, real-world frequencies may be worse than the minimum grid suggests.

Schools and Universities

• Public basic and secondary schools: unions expect a “strong impact”. Many schools will either close completely or function only as basic childcare, with few classes actually taught.
• Universities and polytechnics: teaching and research staff unions aligned with CGTP and UGT have joined the strike; many classes are expected to be cancelled or moved online at short notice.

If you have children in school, assume normal lessons will not happen and plan childcare accordingly.

Hospitals and Health Centres

The CES arbitration court has now published a detailed list of minimum health services, going beyond emergencies alone.

• Emergency care: All ERs and any situation where delay could cause “irreparable harm” must be covered, with staffing roughly equivalent to Sundays and public holidays.
• Oncology, dialysis, intensive care & palliative care: Must continue, along with many associated diagnostic and pharmacy services.
• Some non-urgent but time-sensitive procedures — including IVF cycles, voluntary terminations of pregnancy within legal deadlines, certain dressings and complex wound care — are also explicitly included.

In practice, that means:

• Emergency and life-saving treatments: will run close to normal.
• Routine appointments, elective surgeries and many exams: very likely to be postponed; health centres (centros de saúde) will operate with reduced staff and long waits.

Banks and Public Services

• Public administration: multiple unions in central and local government are taking part; expect closures or severe slow-downs at Finanças (tax offices), Social Security, courts, town halls and Citizen Shops (Lojas do Cidadão).
• Banks: banking unions, including SIBACE, have endorsed the strike. Many bank branches are expected to close or run with minimal staff, though ATMs and online banking should remain available.

If You Live in Portugal: How to Prepare (Updated)

Commuting & Work

• Work from home if you can. Many employers are explicitly encouraging remote work on 11 December following the publication of the minimum-service grids.
• Avoid non-essential travel, especially into the centres of Lisbon and Porto.
• If you must commute:
• • Check minimum-service timetables on CP, Fertagus, Carris, Metro do Porto and your regional operators.
  • Build in large buffers — services may not respect advertised frequencies.
• Consider car-sharing, cycling or walking, but remember:
• • Traffic is likely to be significantly heavier.
  • With truckers and goods drivers joining the strike, supply chains and some fuel deliveries may also be affected, especially outside major cities.

Home & Family

• Childcare: Assume your child’s school may close or only offer supervision, not full teaching. Line up backup childcare or adjust your work plan.
• Health: Refill prescriptions before Thursday and bring essential documents and medication to any appointments that do go ahead.
• Errands:
• • Visit public offices, banks and Citizen Shops by 10 December if you have urgent business.
  • Consider withdrawing a bit of extra cash in advance in case local ATMs are temporarily offline or crowded.

If You Are Visiting: Travel & Holiday Advice

Flights

• Do not assume your 11 December flight is operating just because it still shows as “scheduled” in some apps; airlines are rolling out cancellations in waves.
• Immediately check:
• • Airline emails / app notifications
  • “Manage booking” pages for free change options
• Best strategy now:
• • Move flights to 10 or 12 December if possible.
  • If you’re mid-journey, consider rerouting via non-Portuguese hubs (Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, etc.) and completing Portugal legs by train or later flights once the strike passes.

Getting Around on the Day

• Lisbon:
• • With no Metro, rely on walking, limited Carris lines, taxis and ride-hailing.
  • Street traffic will be heavy and queues for taxis/Uber/Bolt long; book airport transfers ahead if you must catch a non-cancelled flight.
• Porto and other cities:
• • Expect reduced urban trains, buses and trams; check local operator websites the night before.
• Inter-city travel:
• • A rental car is more reliable than trains on the 11th itself, but check fuel availability locally given truckers’ participation.

Sightseeing

• Treat Thursday as a “slow day”:
• • Explore on foot in your neighbourhood.
  • Many restaurants and cafés are expected to open, though some may have shorter hours or fewer staff.

Looking Beyond Thursday: Possible Spill-Over into Friday

While the general strike is only on 11 December, an independent public-sector federation (FESINAP) has already called additional strikes in public administration, including a pre-announced stoppage on Friday, 12 December, also against the labour reform.

That means some disruption — especially in schools, hospitals and Social Security services — may continue into Friday even after transport is mostly back to normal.

Bottom Line

Think of Thursday, 11 December as a day when Portugal moves in slow motion:

• Essential services will function, especially emergencies and critical health care, but much of “normal life” will be paused.
• If you can, avoid non-essential travel and stay put.
• If you must move, plan conservatively: double-check timetables, monitor airline and operator alerts, and allow for significant delays.

Staying flexible — and keeping an eye on updates from official channels and operators — is your best defence against a very unusual day.