SNPVAC tells government: “Don’t make same mistakes of the past”
SNPVAC, the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel, has warned the government today that the privatisation process of TAP will fail unless their collaboration is sought
“Don’t make the same mistakes as in the past, (…) without the collaboration and participation of the unions, (the privatisation) won’t work, once again,” SNPVAC‘s president Ricardo Penarróias could not have been clearer when he spoke in parliament today, at the request of PS Socialists, on the integration of Portugália Airlines into TAP.
The union leader stressed SNPVAC has to be consulted so that those negotiating the sale of the airline understand how TAP works.
“If they continue not to look inwards, then in the end it will be the workers who pay, once again,” he emphasised, adding that the SNPVAC “will not agree to anything that is imposed on it”.
Penarróias also said that the union representing cabin crew has already approached the three major European airline groups that have expressed an interest in buying into TAP —Lufthansa, IAG, and Air France-KLM—and has not received a response so far. Thus, the union would first like clarification from the government.
Asked about the end of social peace within the group – which the union recently declared, following the presentation of a new cost allowance scale, which includes a reduction for several destinations – Ricardo Penarróias emphasised that there is communication with current management, but there are still “different visions”.
“After going through three other executive chairmen, of the four, (Luís Rodrigues) is much better than the other three – some of whom were extremely weak. If there is a future for TAP today, this administration has an important role to play,” said Penarróias.
As for the transfer of Portugália to TAP SA, which was completed on January 21, the union considered it urgent that the labour model that will be applied following the corporate change is presented.
A new model will make it possible to end the duplication of costs in the two companies as well as the application of regulations resorting to external contracting with “huge costs”, says the union.
The Independent Union of Airline Pilots (SIPLA) has meantime given notice of a part-time strike at Portugália from March 12 – 27 to “safeguard jobs that are now at imminent risk”, according to a statement.
One reason for the dissatisfaction is related to the Regulation on the Recourse to External Contracting (RRCE), created in 1998. This regulation was intended to act as a brake on the contracting of external flights by TAP, including Portugália, which accounts for the largest share. It imposed limits that, if exceeded, reverted in favour of TAP pilots through compensation.
This protocol, used by several European airlines, cost €60 million last year because six extra basic salaries were paid to each TAP pilot – as Expresso reported in May 2024.
The pilots of Portugália, which in 2023 carried out around 25% of TAP’s total flights according to the TAP SGPS report, have been criticising the consequences of this protocol as Portugália is still “considered an external company”, and thus the pilots do not receive the compensation that goes to TAP pilots.
TAP’s privatisation is generally limping along, with issues like the €6 million lawsuit lodged by former CEO Christianne Ourmières Widener, and possible compensation of up to €300 million due over a thousand former employees potentially confusing negotiations.
Source material: LUSA
