Brits have been warned to brace for travel disruptions to a popular European country impacted by 12 days of strikes this summer. Ground staff are set to walk out over three weekends in August, which could impact flights to at least seven major airports in Portugal.
Aircraft servicing, baggage handling and check-in teams started their four-day strike yesterday, which is scheduled to run until Monday, August 18. Two more strikes are planned for next weekend, from August 22 to 25, and the following weekend, August 29 to September 1, which will both run for four days from Friday to Monday.
Airports in Lisbon, Faro and Porto, as well as Madeira, Porto Santo and the Azores, are all set to be impacted. A couple travelling from Manchester yesterday told The Express it took two hours to pass through security at Porto airport.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) previously warned travellers that the action could lead to significant delays.
The FCDO advice read: “Industrial action by baggage handlers at Portuguese airports from Friday to Monday during the months of July and August may cause delays. If you are travelling over this period, check for announcements and follow the advice of your airline or tour operator.”
The strikes started in July as part of a five-week course of action. During the first weekend, Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport scrapped more than 70 flights, and from 8 to 11 August, eight flights to Lisbon were reportedly cancelled.
The ground staff have been disputing pay, unpaid night shifts and parking, following Menzies Aviation’s takeover of Groundforce operations, reports EuroNews.
A bitter feud between Menzies and the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA), which represents the striking employees, has played out in public.
SIMA leader Carlos Araújo said in a statement earlier in August: “We were forced into this situation by the intransigence of the current management, represented by its vice-president Rui Gomes, who opted for confrontation instead of dialogue, refusing solutions that respected workers’ rights and the interests of the country."
Industrial action has also been planned in Spain, with strikes planned until the end of the year set to impact major airports.
