The management of SNPVAC, in a statement to its members, addressed the claims by a consortium involved in the privatization process of Azores Airlines. The consortium publicly stated they are at a negotiation impasse with unions and workers, especially cabin crew and SNPVAC,” the statement said.
“These statements are far from the truth. We clarify, once again, that there is no ongoing negotiation with the consortium or any negotiation stalemate, as there has been no contact since July. Furthermore, no concrete proposal has been presented concerning the future of Azores Airlines and its operations,” SNPVAC clarified.
The union deems it “unacceptable to link the conclusion of this negotiation process to accepting salary reductions and to use non-fulfillment as leverage to pressure workers in this manner.”
“Cabin crew are not chess pieces in a negotiation game. A good business deal cannot come at the expense of the workers. Certainly, it will not be at the crew’s expense that the company is financed or sold, or that specific debts are negotiated,” they added.
SNPVAC asserts that whoever intends to buy “must assume the risks associated with the company’s reality, operations, and collective agreements,” while sellers “must assume their responsibilities and obligations once and for all.”
The note further states that cabin crew “are, and intend to remain, one of the driving forces of Azores Airlines.”
“Ultimately, it has always been these same crew members who supported Azores Airlines throughout years of mismanagement by successive boards appointed and supported by the Regional Government of the Azores,” the statement reads.
The union also criticizes the Regional Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) for remaining inactive throughout this process and failing to provide a sensible explanation for what has been declared over recent weeks.
“Threatening workers and the Azorean people with the closure of Azores Airlines is not what is expected from those responsible for ensuring the continuity of this significant economic driver for the Azoreans,” the statement emphasized.
SNPVAC also reminded that cabin crew were not responsible for decisions that were detrimental to the company’s interests over the years.
On the contrary, they often mitigate service deterioration, even under questionable conditions, as was seen this past summer, they added.
On Monday, the jury overseeing the privatization of Azores Airlines demanded that the consortium Newtour/MS Aviation submit a purchase proposal by October 24, as revealed by a source connected to the process to Lusa news agency.
The jury, headed by economist Augusto Mateus, set this deadline during a meeting held in Lisbon.
This meeting was requested by the president of the jury and included the participation of SATA’s administration and the Newtour/MS Aviation group, the only admitted competitor in the process.
In June 2022, the European Commission approved Portuguese state aid to support the restructuring of the public Azorean airline, totaling 453.25 million euros in state loans and guarantees, with measures including a structural reorganization and the divestment of a 51% controlling stake.
Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, carries out connections to and from the Azores archipelago.
