The Portway workers’ strike is expected to cause the cancellation of 82 flights to and from Lisbon throughout the day, while in Porto there were 12 cancellations as of 11:30 a.m., according to SINTAC.
Speaking to Lusa on the third and final day of the three-day strike by Portway workers, Pedro Figueiredo, leader of the National Union of Civil Aviation Workers (SINTAC), said that adherence to the strike today remained around 90% in Lisbon. and Porto airports.
In Funchal, the adherence to the strike today registered a “slight increase” and the same happened in Faro, according to the SINTAC union leader for Portway, who explained that in these two airports there were no flight cancellations, with delays above all. .
Without speaking of percentages, he mentioned that, in the case of Faro, “if yesterday [sábado] out of 10 eligible workers, eight were working, today there are six”.
Pedro Figueiredo also specified that the membership data reported by the union takes into account “eligible” workers, that is, discounting “more than a third” that was covered by the ministerial order that defined the minimum services and those who work in the company. through temporary employment agencies.
According to the same official, throughout the day Lisbon will register a total of 82 canceled flights. In Porto, the information collected by the union, he added, accounts for “12 flights canceled and a divergence [para outro aeroporto]” until mid-morning.
Given these data, Pedro Figueiredo considers that the “strike was a success”, but pointed out that “the labor problems continue”.
In this context, he stated that “the future must go through new forms of struggle”
“Let’s see which ones, if strikes, if others,” he added, however, adding SINTAC’s negotiation disposition.
“SINTAC is one of the largest aviation unions and has great representation in Portway and Vinci [empresa concessionária da ANA — Aeroportos de Portugal] and if Vinci thinks we’re going to stop here, no, we won’t,” he said, further needing to be “evident” that they are “always available to reach an agreement,” while continuing to “demand better working conditions.”
The notice of strike by Portway workers, launched by SINTAC, began at 00:00 hours on Friday, August 26, and lasted until 24:00 hours on Sunday, August 28, with a ministerial order that defined the services minimum and that does not allow a third of the workers -those who assist passengers with reduced mobility (MyWay)- to declare a strike.
The three-day strike at the airports of Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Madeira aims to challenge “the human resources policy [recursos humanos] assumed in recent years by Portway, a company owned by the Vinci group, of confrontation and devaluation of workers for consecutive breaches of the Company Agreement, disciplinary confrontation, lack of salary update, misrepresentation of performance evaluations that prevent salary progressions and bad faith in negotiations,” the union said.
Portway workers demand compliance with the 2016 Company Agreement and a performance review that does not serve to impede progression, as well as 100% vacation pay and immediate salary updates, taking inflation into account.
Lusa questioned ANA Aeroportos de Portugal about the impact of the strike on flights and is still waiting for a response.
He also contacted Portway about the number of flight cancellations and their involvement in the strike.
Source: Observadora
