Baggage handlers’ strike to go ahead on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve

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Talks between Portway and unions were unsuccessful

Portuguese airport ground handling company Portway and three trade unions representing its employees have failed to reach an agreement at a meeting this week, meaning the strike called by the unions for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve is set to continue.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Portway said that it “hoped that the unions would revise their stance and call off the strike,” which did not happen despite Tuesday’s meeting.

The strike called by the unions covers all overtime work, starting at midnight on December 23 and lasting until midnight on January 1.

There is also to be an all-out strike from midnight to midnight on December 24 and on December 31.

The strike is also to cover work on public holidays that are normal working days, from  December 24 until January 2, 2025.

In a statement also published on Wednesday, the Democratic Union of Airport and Aviation Workers (Sindav), the Union of Airport Handling Technicians (STHAA), the Union of Handling, Aviation and Airport Workers (Sitava) and the Union of Workers in the Merchant Navy, Travel Agencies, Freight Forwarders and Fisheries (Simamevip) accused the company of “dishonesty and bad faith” in the talks.

Following the meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Labour, Portway said that it had “scrupulously applied the agreement signed with the unions representing the workers” and had “increased the salary scales by 4%.”

The company acknowledged that “the possibility of an additional 1% increase was open, subject to the achievement of an operational target of 60,000 assisted flights by 31 October, which was set because it was achievable depending on history and prospects, and would guarantee that Portway would have the financial conditions to increase the pay scales by a further 1%”. But, it said, “unfortunately, this objective was not achieved and, as such, it was not possible for the company to proceed with this additional increase.”

Portway also said that “the metric used to assess the fulfilment of the objective is unequivocal and has never changed,” stressing that “the number of flights has always served as the basis for all negotiations based on operational criteria.

“The word flight is commonly used in handling and by all its workers when referring to a rotation. To now make out that Portway has negotiated flights to be different from rotations would not be consistent with the reality of the activity,” it said.

The unions, on the other hand, take a different view of the process, pointing out that in November 2024 the company “once again subverted itself, saying something absolutely stupid, ridiculous and absurd, as the courts will certainly demonstrate,” trying to convince the workers that “flights and rotations are the same thing.”

The unions pointed out that Portway had proposed a 1% pay rise in January 2025 and a balance sheet bonus of €100 for all workers.

The unions said they accepted the principle, “but never the figure of €100” – having instead proposed €180 for all.

“Portway has gone up to €120, and these unions have proposed a fixed amount of €150,” they said, pointing out that the agreement “that would have called off the strike for the modest sum of €60,000” has been scuppered.

“We recall that this increase, which Portway is now refusing to comply with, has practical effects on the workers” current basic salary, but also on all the associated components: shift allowances, public holidays, overtime, holiday and Christmas bonuses,” they added.

Source: LUSA