The strike – which began at 00:00 and is carried out in two-hour modules at the entrance and/or exit of shifts – also caused, until 10:00, delays in “close to 30 flights” at the capital’s airport.
Eleven flights diverged and seven were canceled this Sunday at Lisbon airport, according to a union source due to the (formerly Groundforce), although airport manager ANA attributes the disruptions to constraints at Madeira airport.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Carlos Oliveira, from the direction of (SIMA), said that at Humberto Delgado Airport, “until 10:00, 11 planes diverged and four arrival flights and three departure flights were cancelled”.
According to the union leader, the strike – which began at 00:00 and is carried out in two-hour modules at the entrance and/or exit of shifts – also caused, until 10:00, delays in “close to 30 flights” in capital airport.
“The airlines are adjusting their arrivals to Lisbon, even to understand what impact the start of the strike had”, said Carlos Oliveira, maintaining that, “at this moment, the operation is completely deregulated”.
As for the effects of the strike at Faro and Porto airports, SIMA says it is still awaiting data.
Contacted by the Lusa agency, an official source from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal attributed, however, the diversion of flights to weather conditions at Madeira International Airport, which has been conditioned since Saturday due to strong winds.
As for the flight cancellations and delays recorded in Lisbon, he said that some also have “to do with Madeira” and others have different causes, but not with the strike at SPdH/Menzies, which the union denies.
The strike by SPdH/Menzies workers, who provide ground assistance (‘handling’) at airports, will last until midnight on Thursday and aims to demand better salary and working conditions.
The origin of the protest is the company’s lack of response to issues such as the lack of transport at some of the times when shifts start and end and the requirement that workers pay for parking when they take their car.
SIMA also requires Menzies to end the existence of base salaries lower than the value of the national minimum wage (820 euros in 2024) and pay for night hours at the amount stipulated in the company agreement.
In addition to the workers from the former Groundforce, those from the Portway handling company also have one scheduled for the Christmas and New Year period.
The strike called by the unions covers all overtime work, starting at 00:00 on December 24, 2024 and until 24:00 on January 1, 2025.
It will also take place from 00:00 on December 24th until 24:00 on the same day and from 00:00 on December 31st until 00:00 on the last day of the year.
The strike will also cover work on public holidays that are normal working days, from December 24th until January 2nd, 2025.
