A meeting between airport workers’ unions and Minister Pedro Marqeus has resulted in an impasse so a planned strike affecting the country's airports is going ahead this weekend, July 2nd and 3rd.
The strike will affect all of Portugal’s airports and represents a failure by management and the government successfully to deal with the grievances raised by union leaders that are complaining that Ryanair’s new baggage handling company Groundlink is operating fraudulently and fails to respect legislation covering working practices.
The unions say Groundlink is not complying with the rules: Ryanair say that it refuses to pay for outdated and wasteful working practices and certainly will not pay for staff when they are doing nothing in between flights.
It does not help matters that Ryanair's new deal with Groundlink, where workers are paid only for the time they spend loading and unloading Ryanair aeroplanes, has led to the loss of 256 jobs at ANA’s subsidiary company, the baggage handler Portway.
Union leaders have reserved much of their ire for French holding company Vinci which owns airports operator ANA and which has not been inclined to engage in discussions over its methods when sacking large numbers of staff which, say the unions, contravenes agreed practice.
Whoever is right and wrong in this tussle, it will be the airlines which lose out from cancelled flights and the passengers who will be mucked around at one of the busiest times of the year by a mass walkout of staff from Portway, Groundforce and short-term contracted airport employees.
It does not help the flow of holiday flights that the French Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) are holding their annual summertime strike with today’s industrial action being the 12th strike in 13 weeks.
Six months of strike action has been attributed to a dispute between the French government and ATC unions over staffing levels and pay.
The unions argue that a reduction in employee numbers puts the public at risk as vacancies have not been filled and out-dated equipment affects the ability of staff to meet performance targets.
This week’s strike action in France has more to do with general union opposition to the labour reforms being forced upon French workers by Prime Minster Manuel Valls who wants to make it easier for company bosses to lay-off staff and enforce overtime and lower pay whenever they want.
This week’s action has been affecting Paris Le Bourget, Pontoise and Marseillies, Metz and Lille with affected airlines cancelling 20% of their flights.
This means that Ryanair, British Airways, EasyJet and Monarch regularly are forced to cancel dozens of flights affecting thousands of passengers.
ANA today reported that Ryanair, easyJet and Vueling flights from Lisbon to Paris, Lyon, Marseilles and London were cancelled. In Oporto, six Ryanair flights to and from Poitieres, Lorient, Dole, Bordéus, La Rochelle and Marseilles were cancelled and from Faro the twice daily Ryanair flights to Paris-Beauvais were cancelled.
Ryanair 'pre-Brexit' has called on the EU to help as it claims the unions are holding European skies to ransom. It wants French Air Traffic Controller unions to agree to arbitration, instead of strikes, to resolve current problems.
______________________________________________
The best source of information for travellers is airline websites. These usually will have links outlining which flights are affected by strike action.
For those trying to start a package holiday, contact the tour operator.
Am I entitled to a refund if my airline cancels my flight?
Yes. European Union regulations require airlines to offer you either a full refund of the unused parts of your tickets, or to re-route you to your destination, as soon as possible. Some airlines may also allow you to rebook your flights for a later date at no extra cost. Although the UK has voted to leave the EU, these laws remain in place until the Government negotiates otherwise. The same applies to the compensation below, too.
Will I get compensation?
Airlines are not liable to pay the additional cash compensation set out by EU regulations because they are not directly responsible for the disruption.
What should I do if I am stranded abroad?
EU regulations make it clear that, when a flight with an EU airline or from an EU airport is cancelled, an airline is liable to pay for the cost of a hotel and subsistence for all those stranded as a result, until a replacement flight is provided. Should your airline advise you to buy your own food and accommodation, keep all receipts, and keep such costs to a reasonable minimum, before making a claim when you get back to Britain.
What about package holidays?
Those passengers on package holidays who are stranded in a destination should be looked after by their tour operator, and the operator is legally obliged to get them home. Customers will usually be allowed to stay in their original hotel, or will be moved to one of a similar standard on a half-board or all-inclusive basis. The exact situation will depend on the operator’s booking terms and conditions.
My flight has been cancelled - can I cancel my accommodation?
If you have booked a hotel, a villa or other accommodation independently of your travel arrangements (ie not as part of a package holiday) your contract is directly with the hotel or villa and you are responsible for any cancellation. If you can’t get there, you will have to do your best to persuade them to give you a refund or rebook for a later date – but they are not obliged to do this and you may lose money.
Am I covered by my travel insurance?
Your policy may pay out a small amount for very long delays (usually over 12 hours), but not usually enough to pay for more than a meal or two. A few policies have cover for a “consequential loss”, such as a hotel booking made independently. You will need to check the terms and conditions which apply to your policy directly with your insurer.
(Q&As from 'The Telegraph')
