The workers of Menzies, formerly Groundforce, commenced their second four-day strike today, out of a total of five walkouts scheduled for the summer tourist season, with tensions escalating as the company and union accuse each other of unwillingness to engage in dialogue.
According to information available on the ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal website, TAP departures have been canceled today. Notícias ao Minuto has reached out to an official source of the airline for clarification on whether these cancellations are due to the strike.
The strikes were initiated by the Sindicato das Indústrias Metalúrgicas e Afins (SIMA) and the Sindicato dos Transportes (ST). The demands include the cessation of base salaries below the national minimum, better wages, and the proper payment of night hours. This second period of the strike, starting at 00:00 today, is set to end at 24:00 on Monday.
In a statement sent on Thursday, SIMA cited the strike as a direct consequence of the intransigence of the Menzies administration, represented by Vice President Rui Gomes, who chose confrontation over dialogue, rejecting solutions that respect workers’ rights and national interests.
The union criticized Menzies and TAP for their perceived arrogance and irresponsibility, accusing them of turning their backs on professionals, clients, and visitors to Portugal during the peak tourist season.
Menzies responded, regretting that the unions promote a distorted narrative based on unfounded allegations and demonstrate a lack of availability for fair and honest dialogue, according to a spokesperson’s statement sent to the media on Thursday.
The British company Menzies Aviation, which owns 50.1% of the former Groundforce (with the remaining 49.9% retained by TAP), expressed regret over the strike being called on what they deemed to be distorted and unfounded arguments, and appealed for constructive dialogue to avoid unnecessary disruptions for passengers during a busy time in the aviation sector.
The first strike of ground handling workers, occurring from July 25 to 28, resulted in the cancellation of several dozen flights at Lisbon airport, delays, and instances where aircraft departed only with passengers, leaving behind baggage and cargo, according to the union.
For this strike, André Silva, spokesperson for SIMA, told Lusa he expects a similar impact.
Walkouts are scheduled until the last weekend of this month, covering the periods from August 15 to 18, August 22 to 25, and August 29 to September 1.
