Union Calls for 48-Hour Walkout in September
Drivers at Horários do Funchal will hold a two-day strike on September 17 and 18. The decision was confirmed on Monday by the National Union of Drivers and Other Workers (SNMOT).
The workers’ assembly gave the union a mandate to call a 48-hour strike on September 17 and 18, and this strike will go ahead if one condition is not met: that wage discrimination at Horários do Funchal comes to an end
Manuel Oliveira, SNMOT, JM-Madeira
Pay and Working Hours at the Center of Dispute
In addition to pay adjustments, the union is also pressing for shorter working hours.
This is the sine qua non condition and then, the other, as is obvious, is that there is openness to the negotiation process for the discussion of the issues on the table, namely the reduction of the weekly working hours from 39 to 35, naturally done in stages
Manuel Oliveira, SNMOT, JM-Madeira
The union argues that wage discrimination stems from an agreement signed between Horários do Funchal management and another union, the Madeira Road Transport and Metalworking Workers’ Union (STRAMM). That deal included an increase of 20 euros in the base salary, with retroactive effect from January 1, 2025, covering not only the workers affiliated with this union but also non-unionized workers.
Previous Strikes and Growing Tensions
This will be the third strike by Horários do Funchal drivers this year. Walkouts already took place on June 25–26 and July 20. The dispute has also created tension between the union, the company’s management, and the Regional Government of Madeira, led by the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, which oversees the public bus operator - with the President saying he would not allow to be blackmailed.
Separate Talks with Private Operator
On the same day, SNMOT also met with drivers from Siga Rodoeste, a private bus operator employing about 80 drivers. In this case, the decision was to schedule a meeting in September with the Funchal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACIF/CCIM), which represents the sector’s employers, to continue the negotiation process.
Current Monthly Salary of Bus Drivers in Madeira
The 2025 salary includes the following:
Base salary: €1,054.30
Single agent bonus*: €225.00
Absence bonus: €42.00
Seniority (5 levels): €100.00
Food allowance: €176.00
Total: €1,597.30 (gross)
*The "Single Agent" bonus (€225.00) - in Portuguese "Agente Único" -refers to a specific payment made to workers who perform multiple tasks alone, usually without assistance from another crew member.
Source: JM-Madeira
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