TAP urges passengers to reschedule their flights due to the impending strike action by union members.
To minimize the impact of the strike set for Thursday and Saturday this week, TAP management is asking passengers with reservations to change their flights to days when the company will be able to fly its aircraft.
The union promises a total adherence to the strike notice and the company admits that there will be "significant disruption" to all TAP routes and an estimated 25,000 passengers.
The TAP cabin crews have decided to withdraw their labour on October 30 and November 1 and according to the National Association of Flight Personnel, adherence to the strike, "if not full, will not be below 99%."
The vice-president of the union, Luciana Passo, says that contracts and agreements "have been violated" due to "unilateral interpretations of the law" by TAP management.
According to Passo, the working conditions agreements with the company "have not been fulfilled."
The union requires that the rules on the "fair" distribution of flights are met, to avoid overworked crew.
"People are tired. TAP may not want to stretch them to breaking point. There have been years and years of stress, years and years of unanswered requests, years and years of the systematic postponement of negotiations," said Paso pointing to the "huge shortage" of crew and the ever increasing number of aircraft and connections.
In a statement, TAP management recognises that "the strike marked by the union for October 30th and November 1 will cause significant disruption in the operation of the company on these days. Therefore, the company recommends passengers with reservations on these days "change their flight reservations for other dates."
