CPTM Workers Maintain Strike Amid Privatization Dispute in São Paulo

Workers of São Paulo's Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) continue their strike, significantly impacting nearly 1 million daily users of the 11-Coral, 12-Safira, and 13-Jade lines. The protest stems from demands for job security guarantees following the privatization of these lines, which were awarded to private company Trivia Trens in March 2026. Although Trivia Trens began operations in July, an explosion on the 12-Safira line led to a temporary 90-day reversion of operations to the state, ending in October.

The workers' union, led by Luiz Barbosa Neto Júnior of the Central Brazil Railway Workers Union, insists the strike will persist as Governor Tarcísio de Freitas has not addressed their job security concerns. The union estimates that about 500 jobs are at risk due to privatization, while the state government maintains that there will be no layoffs and that job security has been ensured. Governor Tarcísio has characterized the strike as a "political instrumentalization" during an election year, a claim the union denies, affirming their fight is for protecting workers' rights and families' livelihood.

During the strike, CPTM lines affected operate only partially. To accommodate passengers, the state's Emergency Transport Support Plan (Paese) provides bus services, although the Airport Express service remains closed with no forecast for resumption. Metro lines run normally with increased service.

This labor dispute occurs alongside Governor Tarcísio's active engagement with right-wing Latin American governments, reinforcing his political alliances but contrasting sharply with ongoing tensions with public-sector workers in São Paulo.