The union representing nearly 5,600 employees of the São Paulo Metro will hold a decisive assembly on the evening of 12 May 2026 to confirm a system-wide strike scheduled to begin at 00:00 on Wednesday, 13 May. Key demands include the first public hiring competition in a decade, equal-pay provisions and revisions to health-plan contributions. If the walk-out proceeds, lines 1-Blue, 2-Green and 3-Red—critical corridors linking downtown, hotel districts and Congonhas Airport’s bus shuttle—could run on a ‘catraca livre’ (open-gate) basis or shut down entirely. Impact on business travel: More than 2.5 million passenger journeys are made on Metro lines each weekday, many by corporate commuters and travellers connecting to Rodoviária Tietê and long-distance buses to Guarulhos Airport. Contingency plans at major companies range from telework authorisations to chartered shuttle vans. Ride-hailing platforms anticipate 25–30 % surge-pricing peaks; travel managers should pre-approve higher ground-transport budgets for Wednesday and Thursday. Legal and regulatory backdrop: The union’s ‘catraca livre’ proposal—keeping trains running but suspending fare collection—would have to be authorised by the state government, which so far insists that a full strike would be deemed illegal unless 80 % of peak-hour operations are maintained. Labour courts have scheduled an emergency hearing for 18:00 on 12 May to determine minimum-service levels. Alternative routes: CPTM commuter-rail lines and the Linha 4 (operated under a separate concession) are expected to run normally, but congestion at transfer stations could trigger crowd-control closures. Bus operator SPTrans has prepared 300 extra articulated vehicles for critical corridors such as Avenida Paulista and Marginal Tietê. Business-continuity tips: Employers should notify travellers arriving on overnight flights to factor in up to 90 minutes of additional transit time. Hotels near Paulista Avenue report 60 % occupancy for 12–14 May and may sell out once the strike is confirmed; re-route VIPs accordingly. For critical in-person meetings, consider venues along Linha 4 (operated by ViaQuatro) or opt for virtual alternatives. Outlook: Previous Metro strikes in 2024 and 2025 lasted 24 hours. Analysts expect the government to seek a judicial injunction compelling a return to work, but political pressure over planned privatisation of Lines 1–3 may harden union resolve.
Source: Exame
