On Friday, the SNPVAC approved, during an emergency general assembly, the agreement proposal between the union and the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium, which is negotiating the privatization of the Azorean airline Azores Airlines.
Information provided indicated that out of “225 members” who voted, “119 were in favor, 92 against, and 14 abstained,” with the members deciding to approve the proposal between SNPVAC and Newtour/MS Aviation.
In a statement released today, the union noted that the document’s approval, which received 52% favorable votes in an assembly with over 83% voting participation, reflects “a factual position and not just a perception,” and it demonstrates that “contrary to insinuations and attacks on this direction, there have never been ideological obstacles or external blockages to reaching an agreement.”
“Starting today, Azores Airlines may enter a new phase, a different reality. However, despite all the uncertainty this process has caused, it remains clear that the SNPVAC leadership and its members will not accept pressure and will remain vigilant and critical, ensuring a future for all: the company, the population of the Azores, the Azorean diaspora, and the region,” the union assured.
According to SNPVAC, Azores Airlines’ cabin crew “did not shy away from their duties, accepted the challenge, and took responsibility.”
The union’s leadership stated that the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium “must acknowledge the error of the open letter sent to the Cabin Crew” and “admit that SNPVAC’s leadership does not act on individual assumptions but with a full understanding of the whole, always defending the interests of its members and not allowing any burden to fall on them in this process, the outcome of which remains uncertain.”
In the communication to its members regarding the general assembly, SNPVAC’s direction also emphasized that interpreting the voting outcome “is straightforward, yet with several underlying messages.”
“Azores Airlines members were clear: they demonstrated to the Regional Government that they do not accept the pressure they have been subjected to in recent months, unlike the Regional Government, which has never managed to bind the consortium to the commitment of acquiring a stake in Azores Airlines,” the statement read.
The union also highlighted “the lack of confidence” in SATA’s current management, pointing out “successive management, communication, and decision errors,” which “do not guarantee the company’s future.”
Meanwhile, it emphasized that the members “do not give a blank check to the consortium and do not accept pressure or coercion.”
Newtour/MS Aviation, which has until Monday to present a proposal for the airline, believes that the “behavior of union leaders, besides being conditioned by ideological assumptions, obstructed an agreement,” even though employees “expressed a willingness to compromise.”
On Thursday, Newtour/MS Aviation reiterated that it would only present a proposal for Azores Airlines if an agreement with the workers is reached, urging the cabin crew to understand that “responsibility requires realism.”
Newtour/MS Aviation noted that the dialogue with the Sindicato dos Pilotos da Aviação Civil (SPAC) “was conducted seriously and responsibly,” culminating in the consortium’s proposal being approved.
According to the consortium, the proposal presented to the cabin crew “is not the same, nor could it be” as that for the pilots, given each profession’s “specificities,” but it follows the “same rationale.”
On November 9, SPAC revealed that the agreement negotiated between SPAC leadership and Newtour/MS Aviation was approved at Azores Airlines’ Company Assembly with 75% of the votes.
The privatization of Azores Airlines (a part of the SATA group operating from the Azores archipelago to external destinations) is under negotiation with the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium. The Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) has admitted the possibility of a private negotiation or the company’s closure if an agreement cannot be reached.
