São Paulo sanctions law to absorb CPTM employees after rail concessions

The government of São Paulo has sanctioned a law to absorb CPTM employees following the concession of several rail lines to the private sector. The legislation was passed with urgency by the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo (Alesp) after receiving unanimous approval.

The law follows an agreement between the government and workers, effectively ending a strike that occurred in early August and impacted the 11-Coral, 12-Safira, and 13-Jade lines. The primary demand of the striking workers was to guarantee job security amidst the privatization of these three branches.

Luiz Barbosa Junior, president of the STEFZCB union, stated that the sanction fulfills a key stage of the agreement. Workers are now entering a transition phase involving assisted operations, where Trivia Trens employees will monitor activities while CPTM remains responsible for train operations. The union has requested a meeting with the State Transport Agency (Artesp) to discuss the next steps of the transition.