An official correspondence was sent by the union to Menzies on Wednesday, indicating that its members would not strike again due to the “understanding reached between the SIMA Union Commission and the company’s representatives at the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security with ministry representatives.”
The airport ground handling company stated today that, although it is pleased with the strike cancellation, this “was not the result of any agreement, negotiation, or concession.” Its position, it added, “remains unchanged, and there has been no alteration in the terms, commitments, or agreements already in effect until the end of 2029.”
“Menzies remains committed to a constructive dialogue, conducted in good faith, and to the fulfillment of formally negotiated and signed agreements with our partners, including SIMA,” the company noted in a statement sent, asserting that it is “a great place to work” and that past strikes “had minimal impact.”
The Metalworking and Related Industries Union (SIMA) withdrew the strike notice to Menzies (formerly Groundforce), after an agreement was reached with the company’s administration at the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security.
The cancellation announced by the union on Wednesday followed strikes from July 25 to 28 and from August 8 to 11, demanding an end to base salaries below the minimum wage, better salaries, and the payment of night hours, among other demands.
Despite the strike suspension, SIMA sent a statement on Saturday denouncing the “unacceptable manner in which the SPdH/Menzies administration and the TAP CEO conducted the last attempts at dialogue.”
According to the representative structure, a “message of availability to resolve the labor conflict” was conveyed, which was what “led SIMA, in good faith, to suspend the strike notice and agree to meet directly with SPdH/Menzies.”
However, it indicated that after this decision, the leaders “returned to the same empty rhetoric, nothing will be negotiated until 2026.”
The union reiterated that it “will continue to fight for fair, dignified, and legal wages for all SPdH/Menzies workers.”
Besides the extended weekend, strikes were scheduled for August 22 to 25 and August 29 to September 1.
