Portugal’s airport workers union (SITAVA) agreed in Faro today the new groundhandling deal with Ryanair is "illegal and fraudulent."
"We are here today to denounce illegality and fraud," said Mário Reis, the union delegate from SITAVA representing baggage handlers from Portway, many of whom face the sack.
Portway announced in Lisbon that it is proceeding with the collective dismissal of 257 workers following the end of 'handling services’ deal with Ryanair at Faro, Lisbon and Oporto airports.
Ryanair wants to start using Groundlink which, according to the union leader, is a company that does not comply with the legislation for the sector, namely it has no license to operate groundhandling services at Portugal’s airports and it does not have in place a collective bargaining agreement.
Reis claims this is "fraud, because Groundlink announced full assistance in groundhandling services at Faro Airport, when it has no license to do so," adding that the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) is complicit in the situation.
The president of Portway, Jorge Ponce de Leon, said on Wednesday that workers facing redundancy will be given the opportunity to continue working at the company, but in part-time positions and that in the Ryanair agreement these employees have priority.
Ponce de Leon unhelpfully added that if some of the workers facing collective dismissal stay at Portway with part time job contracts, the number of deleted jobs will be less.
Portway will no longer be providing services to Ryanair at the end of March at Faro airport, in June at Oporto and in October at Lisbon airport and the airline wants to use Groundforce as it is cheaper.
