FIFA World Cup: Subway workers strike enters 3rd day
Subway lines are operating either partially or normally as workers are on strike for higher wages
Sao Paulo: The company that runs the subway system in the city hosting the World Cup opening match said on Saturday that all five of its lines were operating either partially or normally as workers enter the third day of a strike for higher wages. Maria Figaro, spokeswoman for the subway workers union said the lines were being operated by management personnel and newly hired trainees. “The strike will most likely continue until our demands are met,” Figaro said.
She said the union reduced its initial demand, from a 16 to 12.2 per cent wage hike, but the company insists it can only afford an 8.7 per cent raise. The subway strike here illustrated the potential for disruptions during the World Cup, that knick-starts here on Thursday. The more than 3.5 million people who use the city’s public transit systems on weekdays faced chaos as subway lines operated in recent days with limited service.
The Sao Paulo Regional Labor Court is scheduled to rule on Sunday on the legality of the strike. The strike worries authorities because most soccer fans heading to the Itaquerao stadium for the opening match will need to use the subway. World Cup organisers have fretted for that a resurgence of mass anti-government protests could mar soccer’s premier event, with all the world watching. But in recent4 weeks, strikes by public transport workers, police, teachers and others in several Cup host cities has proved more disruptive than anti-government demonstrations.