The ongoing strike by SPdH/Menzies workers, formerly Groundforce, has caused disruptions at Portuguese airports, especially at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon. Here’s what you can do if affected by the stoppages.
AirAdvisor, a global air passenger rights platform, asserts that “even during strikes, airlines have obligations to their customers,” allowing affected passengers to claim financial compensation in cases of lost items, seek ticket rescheduling, and access basic assistance during waits.
“Although legislation does not provide for compensation for flight delays or cancellations, in these extraordinary cases, airlines are responsible for ensuring that travelers are accommodated with ticket rescheduling and covering meals or hotel stays when necessary,” explained AirAdvisor CEO Anton Radchenko in a statement to Notícias ao Minuto.
Furthermore, “airlines are also obliged to account for lost baggage during airport workers’ strikes,” according to Article 19 of regulation EU-261, which “states that the carrier is liable for damages caused by delays in passenger or baggage transport unless it can prove all reasonable measures were taken to avoid the interruption.”
“A strike typically doesn’t fall under this exemption, and passengers have the right to request compensation for lost baggage,” Radchenko added.
You can check here if flight disruptions qualify for compensation.
Notably, on Sunday alone, nearly 40 flights were canceled at Lisbon Airport due to the strike by SPdH/Menzies workers.
Twenty-two departures and 14 arrivals scheduled for today at Lisbon Airport were canceled due to the strike by SPdH/Menzies workers, according to a union source via the Lusa agency.
The ongoing strike, called by the Metal Industries and Related Industries Union (SIMA) and the Transport Union, began at midnight on Friday and will continue until midnight on Monday.
This is the first of five four-day strikes scheduled over weekends until early September.
In August, the strike periods are scheduled for August 8-11, 15-18, 22-25, and from August 29 to September 1.
The workers’ demands include the end of base salaries below the national minimum wage, payment for night shifts, improved salary conditions, and maintaining parking access under previous terms.
