Portuguese postal workers begin two-day strike
Thousands of Portuguese postal workers began a two-day strike Thursday over job cuts and government plans to privatize some service offered by state postal firm CTT.
“There is going to be a significant delay in the delivery of mail,” the secretary-general of postal workers’ union SNTCT, Victor Narciso, told AFP.
He said roughly 50 percent of the 10,000 workers represented by the union were taking part in the strike.
Unions are angered over CTT plans to reduce the number of post offices it operates, slash the number of workers and develop more joint ventures with the private sector.
The loss-making CTT has cut 2,100 jobs since July 2002 and intends to cut another 2,400 positions.
CTT management argues the measures are needed for the company to turn a profit and compete with private express mail services.
The postal service operates about 1,000 postal offices across Portugal and is one of the largest employers in the country.
