Strike cancels 60 flights at Portugal’s Lisbon airport

Gates, passport management and bogs indicators are seen at Lisbon’s airport, Portugal. June 24, 2016. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante//File Photograph

LISBON, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Round 60 flights have been cancelled at Lisbon airport on Sunday, the final day of a strike by dealing with staff that has introduced extra disruption to summer time journey at Portugal’s most important airports since Friday, information from nationwide airports operator ANA confirmed.

Workers of dealing with firm Portway are demanding higher vacation pay and extra profession development. ANA’s web site confirmed 31 arrivals and 28 departures had been cancelled on Sunday at Lisbon, Portugal’s busiest airport.

Pedro Figueiredo, spokesman for the Nationwide Union for Civil Aviation Staff (SINTAC), instructed Reuters that round 90% of Portway’s ramp operations staff at Lisbon and Porto airports have been participating within the three-day strike.

SINTAC expects between 70 and 80 Lisbon flights to be cancelled on Sunday and 30 to 40 at Porto airport, he stated.

ANA didn’t present any flight cancellations at Porto, Faro – which serves the tourism-dependent area of the Algarve – or Funchal on the island of Madeira.

“Within the coming days, our union will consider the outcomes of this strike and we might undertake information types of battle,” Figueiredo stated, with out elaborating on what they may be.

Dealing with staff help airways with baggage and in addition push planes onto the tarmac.

Scores of airport floor workers have protested throughout Europe this summer time to demand increased pay to cushion the ache of rampant inflation, emboldened by booming demand for air journey and workers shortages after most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Airways are in the meantime grappling with hovering gasoline costs and airspace closures associated to the conflict in Ukraine.

The strike happened on one of many busiest weekends of the yr, with overseas and Portuguese vacationers nonetheless travelling for summer time holidays.

Portway, which is owned by French group Vinci, stated the “irresponsible” strike would jeopardise Portugal’s tourism sector, which accounted for nearly 15% of gross home product earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Modifying by Catherine Evans

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