Lisbon, Sept. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - The Workers' Committee (CT) of ground handling company SPdH, formerly Groundforce, on Monday called for the company to halt collective redundancies, arguing that doing so will safeguard industrial peace, whilst the third round of redundancies in two years is underway.
In a statement dated 18 September, the SPdH's Workers' Committee, now controlled by Menzies, said it met with the company and representatives of the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT) «to discuss the company's intention to carry out a collective redundancy affecting nine workers».
During the meeting, the Works Council presented a statement expressing its preference for improved communication regarding the process and highlighted its desire for a more stable employment environment, given that this marks the «third round of staff redundancies within the space of two years».
According to the CT, these three cases stem from «a poorly structured process of terminations by mutual agreement (2024 and 2025)» that did not achieve its objective of reducing the average cost per worker.
«We hope that this type of process stops here, otherwise it will seriously jeopardise industrial peace,» states the CT in its press release, adding that employees and the company have been through «very difficult times» since 2020, such as the pandemic, insolvency, changes in shareholding, and the loss of licences.
«We all need stability and constructive collaboration,» they emphasise.
The CT and the experts assisting it, appointed by the Airport, Maintenance and Aviation Workers' Union (STAMA), Sitava – the Aviation and Airports Workers' Union (Sitava), the Airports, Maintenance and Aviation Workers' Union (STAMA) and the Aeronautical Industry Union (SIA) – want the process «to be concluded as soon as possible» and «on the basis of respect and safeguarding the best possible conditions».
The workers' representative body points out that the process began without any alternatives to redundancy having been presented or explored.
The workers' representatives have proposed that workers affected by this collective redundancy be offered the option, should they so wish, to take up posts «whose duties fall within their professional category».
«We reiterate once again that, at this particularly sensitive stage for the company's future, it is essential that there be a joint effort to overcome this period of great instability in order to achieve industrial peace, whilst safeguarding workers and their rights,» the statement said.
SPdH was 50.1% owned by Menzies Aviation and 49.9% by TAP, but the airline has since completed the sale of its entire stake to the British company, as part of the remaining commitments made to the European Commission regarding the restructuring plan.
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