Lisbon, Jan. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese Aviation and Airport Workers' Union (Sitava) on Friday warned of a year of "great labour conflict" at the Portway ground handling company, following a strike that ended on Thursday with a take-up rate of around 40%.
Speaking to Lusa, Fernando Henriques, from Sitava, said that the strike registered a take-up of around 40% of the workforce, warning of the use of temporary workers and managers during the strike. He warned that 2025 will be a year of "great labour conflict" at Portway.
"There was a walk out rate corresponding to what we were expecting, bearing in mind that there are many, many hundreds of temporary workers," he emphasised, adding that there were also cases in which managers carried out "the work of the workers". The strike covered permanent employees.
Contacted by Lusa, Portway said that "the strike declared by some unions", which began on 24 December "had no impact, nor did it lead to any flight cancellations. The operation, which is intense at the end of the year, took place normally," the company said.
Fernando Henriques accused the company of committing irregularities during the strike, adding that Sitava will inform the relevant authorities.
A lawsuit will also be filed against Portway for the 1% increase in salaries in 2024, which the company did not grant because it felt that the objectives that would justify it had not been met, and which was the cause of the strike.
"What we foresee for 2025 is that it's going to be a year with a lot of labour conflict at Portway," he pointed out, noting that the four unions that have been involved in this process "have also jointly submitted a proposal for 2025, which includes an increase in the salary scale, but also some changes and adjustments to the clauses in the company labour agreement."
Although they hope to meet in January, Fernando Henriques recognises that reaching an agreement will be complicated, given that the two parties are starting from a different starting point, with the unions discussing the 1% increase.
"Everything indicates that the process is going to be very complex and conflict-ridden, because our starting points are going to be different, Portway will certainly come forward with a proposal on the table that it understands to be the January 2024 scale that doesn't include that 1%," he emphasised.
They could also return to strikes this year, he said. "We will not stop resorting to strike action if necessary," he concluded.
The strike that has now ended was called, in addition to Sitava, by the Democratic Union of Airport and Aviation Workers (Sindav), the Union of Airport Handling Technicians (STHAA) and the Union of Workers in the Merchant Navy, Travel Agencies, Freight Forwarders and Fisheries (Simamevip).
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