The strike by CTT workers against the payment of lunch allowance on the meal card starts at midnight today at post offices, SNTCT Secretary General Víctor told Lusa news agency Narcissus.

As it is a public holiday, “the strike begins at midnight at the central post offices”, starting in Cabo Ruivo, Lisbon, said the secretary general of the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Workers (SNTCT).

This is the second strike of Correios de Portugal workers in two weeks (the last one happened on May 29), and the payment of the meal allowance on card was the engine of this strike, which is joined by the claim for “better conditions” work “, the protest against the” disorganization of the company “and the” wage freeze “, among other points.

Víctor Narciso said that his expectations of joining “are good”, judging by the last strike.

In a statement, CTT anticipates that, “in general in the country, the effects of the strike are not very felt, with the possible occurrence of constraints located in specific areas”, stating that “they have articulated a contingency plan in order to avoid, in case of need, problems in its operation in defense of the provision and quality of service to our customers “.

In the last stoppage, on May 29, according to the union, more than 70% of CTT workers were on strike against freezing wages and the payment of the card meal subsidy, but the company placed the membership at 18.5%.

According to the union, workers do not accept the proposal to allocate a meal card as a form of payment for the food subsidy, thus replacing the monthly payment by bank transfer, as has been done so far.

In the note sent today, CTT states that this strike covers both the company’s networks – the postal distribution network (postmen) and the service network (CTT stores) -, but not the Post Office network operated by CTT partners. , nor agents that provide PayShop payment services.

CTT also warns that, on strike days, no membership fee released before 12:00 on June 12, 2020, that is, before the absence of workers in the payroll processing system is completed, can be based on complete data.

According to the company, the decision to start paying the food allowance through a meal card to employees who had not yet chosen this route was one of several measures taken to face the revenue shortfall and ensure the company’s sustainability.

CTT underlines that the meal card can be used in any establishment selling food products and “represents a clear economic advantage for everyone: for the company, it represents a lawful way of substantially reducing costs; for employees, it means savings annual average for IRS, in the order of 100 euros “.

The strike was called by the SNTCT, SINDETELCO – Democratic Union of Postal, Telecommunications, Media and Services Workers, SITIC – Independent Union of Information and Communications Workers, SINCOR – Independent Union of Portuguese Post Offices, SINQUADROS – Union of Cadres de Comunicações de Communications, SINTTAV – National Union of Telecommunications and Audiovisual Workers, SICOMP – Union of Communications of Portugal, FENTCOP – National Union of Transport, Communications and Public Works, SERS – Union of Engineers, SNEET – National Union of Engineers, and SERS – Union of Engineers of the Southern Region.