The notification today of that the latest Groundforce workers strike is scheduled for the last weekend in August has put airports operator ANA under pressure.
Groundforce provides handling services at Portugal’s airports and its workers’ 29th and 30th August strike, even when adhering to the basic minimum staffing levels set by law, will causes delayed flights and will inconvenience many travellers returning home after a holiday break in Portugal.
"The strike is called and on Monday we will go to the tribunal to set the minimum service levels, but handling will be compromised on the strike days," assured Fernando Henriques, union leader of the Aviation and Airports Workers Union (SITAVA).
The union's gripes are not new and centre on the "disrespectful posture" of the company’s management when negotiating new working hours, wages and job security issues.
Henriques complains that the management has been unwilling to address "overtime problems, schedule changes and the proliferation of bought in labour with hundreds of temporary workers and the use of bogus service providers.”
Groundforce is 49.9% owned by TAP and 50.1% by Urbanos. Today’s strike notice covers also the workers taken on through five temp agencies providing labour - Adecco, Cross Staff, Multitempo, Inflight Solutions e RH Mais.
