The government is doing its job to avoid the strike, he told journalists, adding that people should start to make contingencies instead of waiting until 12 August.

Two drivers' unions gave notice of a strike starting on 12 August and offered a minimum of 25% of services throughout the country as from then, while a strike in April, which saw minimum services of 40% in Lisbon and Porto only, led people to rush to gas stations and fuel supplies dried up.