EasyJet cabin crew in Portugal have announced a strike for the first three days of April following a deadlock in negotiations with the company, the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) announced.
In the note, the union structure recalled that since the last meeting, on March 9, the members of this airline have been mandated “to continue the negotiation process and resort to any means of struggle deemed relevant, including the last resort: the right to strike”.
“Taking into account the current moment of the negotiations, the perceived impasse and the implacable and incomprehensible attitude of easyJet, a letter has been sent today to the company, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Mar and DGERT, communicating a strike announcement for April 1, 2 and 3, 2023,” said the SNPVAC.
The union structure also said that “a parliamentary round was also held to expose the current situation of easyJet crew members to political parties”.
“We are aware of what this pre-notification entails,” they emphasized, expressing their hope that “the company is also aware of all of its implications.”
In the pre-strike notice, the SNPVAC indicated that in these three days the strike “covers all flights operated by easyJet, as well as for the other services to which the cabin crew is assigned”, the hours of which “will be presented at the national territory from 00:01 on April 1 and ends at 24:00 on April 3, 2023”.
On the other hand, the union understands that “the concept of compelling needs is limited only to the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, due to the national cohesion and the isolation of the populations for whom this means of transport is essential”.
“Because such destinations are offered by other airlines (TAP, SATA, Ryanair, Transavia) and given the nature and other routes operated by easyJet, we believe there is no minimum service,” he concluded.
In its rationale for moving forward with the initiative, SNPVAC on March 9 recalled the industry’s recovery in recent years, post-pandemic, recalling that in Portugal the easyJet crew “always had a serious attitude of understanding the needs of the company over the years”, after voting “unanimously when the company asked for help and accepted to freeze their terms of employment for three years”.
However, the SNPVAC indicated, “during the pandemic, easyJet decided to support with ‘top-ups’ much higher than those in Portugal to some countries such as Germany and the UK [Reino Unido]which in turn already had much more support from the state”.
The union also pointed out that “when the operation resumed, easyJet decided to” help the “Spanish colleagues with a minimum guarantee when the crew in Portugal went through financial difficulties” and that “the Portuguese bases and routes are among the most profitable belong”. on the network”.
“As a result of the economic climate, easyJet employees have lost purchasing power over the past three years,” they stressed, noting that “the rise in the cost of living is suffocating employees and endangering the well-being and comfort of their families.”
“Over the past two years, cabin crew have faced experiences that no one could have foreseen, putting them on the front line even during critical periods,” said the SNPVAC, guaranteeing that “in other countries and bases where the company is not at the same level of profitability as in Portugal, colleagues achieved significant increases” and that “in these countries, agreements were negotiated during the summer to protect the stability of working hours”.
In the statement, the SNPVAC defended that easyJet’s cabin crew “cannot continue to allow the company to adopt an attitude of indifference to class problems that have long been identified”, guaranteeing that “a climate of tension and displeasure for a long time”. stalemate in the resolution of the various labor disputes”.
For the union, “the impasse reached in the current AE/CAO negotiations is unacceptable, which can be extended indefinitely”, and assures that professionals in Portugal “want to see their loyalty and productivity towards recognized companies”.
An official source for easyJet, contacted by Lusa at the time, said the airline “takes its responsibilities as an employer very seriously and employs its entire crew under local contracts, agreed with unions and in compliance with relevant local law, at least that is not possible to compare the terms between different jurisdictions”.
The company also said that thanks to “recent investments in the market”, it has hired “a significant number of employees in recent months” and “continues to receive a high number of applications for cabin crew positions in Portugal, which is a testament to the competitive conditions” it offers, he guaranteed.
“We are committed to working constructively with our employee representatives to address their concerns with the aim of signing a lasting agreement,” he concluded.
Source: DN
