SEF strike causes two-hour waits in Lisbon airport arrivals
On Sunday, ANA revealed that there were four-hour delays in border control at Lisbon airport, with the disembarkation of some flights temporarily suspended.
The partial strike by employees of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) on Wednesday caused waiting times in arrivals at Lisbon airport of a maximum of two hours at border control, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal said.
“ANA Aeroportos de Portugal (the country’s airport management company) informs that as a result of the strike of the Foreigners and Borders Service, today, August 18, the waiting times at border control at Lisbon airport during the strike period (5:00 – 9:00), reached a maximum of two hours in arrivals and 32 minutes in departures”.
ANA also indicated that at the remaining airports, there is no “relevant impact, so far”.
“It is expected that during this week there will be fewer flights and that these flights will only have between 30, 40 and 50% of passenger capacity, so there should not be major constraints,” the president of the Union of Investigation Inspectors, Surveillance and Borders (SIIFF) told Lusa on Tuesday.
On Sunday, ANA revealed that there were four-hour delays in border control at Lisbon airport, with the disembarkation of some flights temporarily suspended.
According to Renato Mendonça, “these figures are related to the peak flow period over the weekend, and it is expected that the same will happen again next weekend”.
The strike was called by SIIFF due to the lack of response from the Government regarding the future of the inspectors following the approval of the draft law that “provides for the dispersal of SEF police responsibilities to the PJ, PSP and GNR forces”.
The protest began on Saturday and partially covers all employees working at the country’s main border posts.
Until the end of August, protests will be held at various airports in the country, but also at the ports of Sines and Leixões.
SIIFF recalled that at a meeting in June the Minister of the Interior set the end of that month as the deadline to present a document with “the terms under which the rights” of these inspectors would be guaranteed, which to date has not reached the union.
