It’s good news – or is it? Nine of the 12 unions threatening a mass walkout at TAP this weekend have agreed to back down. But the three unions who remain intent on strike action represent more than 50% of TAP’s workforce – and they don’t appear to be too bothered with the government’s strike-breaking civil requisition, lodged last week, nor the threat of disciplinary proceedings levelled by the airline’s president Fernando Pinto.
According to SIC television news at lunchtime today (Wednesday), the three syndicates that insist on going ahead with the four-strike due to start on Saturday are SINTAC, SITAVA and SNPVAC.
In a short statement put out by SNPVAC, the civil aviation unions said that together they “represent more than 50% of TAP workers” and that they will continue to strike, within the confines of the government’s civil requisition.
As Público pointed out last week, it is perfectly feasible for staff to skip work under the terms of a civil requisition as long as they present a valid reason/ explanation.
Meantime, the unions that have voted to drop the crucially-timed strike are those involving economists, engineers, accountants, metal industry workers, maintenance technicians, pilots and technical handlers.
The group has agreed with the original idea put forward by the government – that staff grievances can be discussed within the framework of a working group convened as privatisation plans go forwards.
Yesterday, President Cavaco Silva rubber-stamped the government’s decision to re-open the privatisation process.
As we reported yesterday, TAP bosses are understood to be negotiating a €250 million bailout just to get the airline through privatisation as it has been haemorrhaging money throughout the year. With a reported 120,000 passengers pulling flight bookings as a result of this latest debacle, day-to-day difficulties will have only increased.Thus to what extent today’s news is “good news” remains to be seen. For now, the government has called it a “very good Christmas present for all those who trusted and continue to trust TAP”.
Giving a press conference this afternoon, Economy minister Pires de Lima praised the “good sense and spirit of negotiation” that had prevailed and appealed to the three unions not involved in the deal to come on board.
“It is not too late”, he stressed, adding that if the rogue syndicates dropped their plans for strike action, the government would in turn drop its civil requisition.
TAP strike: Government praises “good sense and spirit of negotiation”
