Major strike in Portugal expected to bring widespread disruption

A police officer negotiates with striking workers blocking the movement of trucks at the gate to warehouses of the Portuguese postal services company (Ana Brigida/AP)

A strike called by Portugal’s two main trade unions is expected to cause severe flight and rail disruptions, shut many government services and force the cancellation of medical appointments and classes on Thursday.

The two unions representing close to a million Portuguese workers say it could be the country’s biggest walkout in more than 10 years, as they contest the centre-right government’s planned changes to employment laws.