Updated

Fewer than half of scheduled trains have run in Portugal during the morning rush-hour as rail workers staged their latest protest against cuts to their pay and entitlements.

The government is reducing expenditure as part of an agreement with creditors that earned debt-heavy Portugal a 78 billion-euro ($105 billion) bailout in 2011.

Financial support for publicly-owned mass transit companies is also being cut, angering labor groups.

Workers at rail infrastructure company REFER walked off the job Wednesday, forcing dozens of train cancellations. Disruption was most evident on suburban lines.

On Thursday, staff at train company Comboios de Portugal and its freight arm CP Carga are due to hold a 24-hour strike. That walkout coincides with stoppages at Lisbon ferry company Soflusa.