TAP cabin crew strike 8, 9 December with limited minimum services

  • Lusa
  • 22 November 2022

For the time being, TAP flights between the mainland and the islands of the autonomous regions are excluded from the notice.

Portugal’s civil aviation flight staff union (SNPVAC) said on Tuesday that the TAP cabin crew strike, scheduled for December 8 and 9, should have a limited supply of minimum services, which should not include flights between mainland Portugal and the islands because there are alternatives.

In a notice published in the media, the union notes that flights returning directly to Lisbon and Porto, emergency flights, military flights and state, national or foreign flights are considered “as minimum services to ensure the satisfaction of unforeseeable social needs, during the strike period”.

The union adds that “the concept of unforeseeable needs is only confined to the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira”, where air transport is essential “for reasons of national cohesion and isolation of the people”.

For the time being, TAP flights between the mainland and the islands of the autonomous regions are excluded from the notice.

The SNPVAC notes that on the days of the strike there will be “other operators (SATA/easyJet/Ryanair) which provide connections between the mainland and any of the islands in the autonomous regions and there are therefore alternative means of air transport”.

On Monday, the union said that TAP had presented a proposal to the cabin crew members, but that it was unable to analyse it within the deadline set by the airline.

In a statement sent to members, to which Lusa had access, the leaders of SNPVAC said that on 15 and 16 November they had “met with the company’s board of directors with the aim of resolving the dispute between the cabin crew and TAP”.

According to the statement, “after two intense days of meetings – where both parties constructively sought solutions to resolve the dispute – TAP formalised a proposal on 18 November”.

“Although it was a proposal that we immediately considered insufficient – as the company does not give up certain positions – it was our intention to take it to the members for consideration at the AG [general meeting] on 6 December,” said the SNPVAC, indicating that, however, “along with the formalisation of the proposal, an ultimatum came to the SNPVAC that either there was an advance consultation of its members by 22 November [Tuesday], or else it would not make sense for the negotiated proposal to be formalised”.

TAP also informed customers on Monday that it will allow them to change the dates of flights scheduled for 8 and 9 December, without any penalty, as they coincide with the cabin crew strike period.

TAP cabin crew announced a strike on 8 and 9 December called by the SNPVAC, citing “discontent, anger and unease” among the workforce as the reasons for the strike.

TAP and the unions are currently negotiating the revision of the company agreement, as part of TAP’s restructuring plan.