A strike by former Groundforce workers, planned for New Year’s Eve, has been called off after agreements were reached with the company’s shareholders and validated by the government.
The walkout, announced by SPdH/Menzies workers for December 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026, was cancelled following negotiations between the representative unions and the shareholders of Menzies Aviation and TAP Air Portugal.
In a joint statement, the Aviation and Airport Workers’ Union (Sitava) and the Handling, Aviation and Airport Workers’ Union (STHAA) said the agreements provide guarantees of stability and future employment for workers, allowing the strike to be withdrawn.
The strike had been called amid uncertainty over workers’ futures linked to the tender for new ground handling licences. A preliminary report by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) placed the Clece/South consortium in first position, raising concerns about job security.
SPdH – Serviços Portugueses de Handling, now operating as SPdH/Menzies, is one of Portugal’s main ground handling companies, providing runway, baggage, cargo and passenger services at airports including Lisbon, Porto and Faro. The company employs more than 3,700 workers nationwide, according to publicly available data.
Unions had warned that ANAC’s preliminary decision did not guarantee the automatic transfer of jobs to the future licence holder, prompting the strike call.
The government has since decided to extend the current ground handling licences until at least May 19, 2026, creating a transitional period to ensure continuity of services while the tender process continues.
Before the strike was called off, minimum services had been set to safeguard essential flights, including connections to the autonomous regions, as well as emergency, humanitarian and state flights.
Source: Lusa
