With the excessive travel needs this summer year, the aviation industry continues to take a toll as two Portuguese unions announced on Monday a three-day strike across 10 international airports in late August.
It appears the dilemma of airport strikes is only beginning, as in late July Lufthansa flights faced numerous cancellations at German airport hubs due to ground crew requesting a pay rise and better working conditions.
The strike was posed by Portugal’s National Union of Civil Aviation Workers (SINTAC) and the Commercial Aviation Managers Union (SQAC) in a statement saying:
“Demand for the lifting of the suspension of contributions to the pension fund by Vinci, as well as the hiring of more human resources for airport operations, rescue operation supervisors.”
The strike notice was set after consultation with workers due to the airport operator ANA- which manages 10 airports in Portugal including Lisbon, Faro, and Porto as well as the French group Vinci which controls ANA, making multi-million euro net profits but failing to pay decent wages to their workers.
According to a statement given to Reuters, “Only by doing this (strike), we will be able to achieve what the company has been lacking for a long time: social stability, respect for workers’ rights and, fundamentally, for people.”
The strike is set to take effect at 00:00 on 19 August and lasts until the end of 21 August, which is set to be one of the busiest weekends as the summer holidays come to an end. The disruption is set to leave holidaymakers in havoc, given the current economic situation as well as other global factors they may have no control of while they either try to find ways to fly to their destinations.
Do you think more staff in other airports around the world will follow suit with continued strikes?
