By Euronews
Published on
Travelling through Portuguese airports is to become more difficult again. Two unions from Menzies, the company responsible for ground handling services, have called a new wave of strikes lasting until early 2026.
A total of 76 days of industrial action are planned between now and January next year, with workers targeting key dates including long weekends, Christmas and the New Year. Disruptions are expected to impact travel over the coming months.
The strikes were called by SIMA (the Union of Metal and Related Industries Workers) and the Transport Union (STA). The first in the series of strikes began on Wednesday 3 September and will last until Tuesday 9 September, next week.
The last strike is not expected to end until 2 January 2026.
The workers are demanding an end to basic salaries below the minimum wage, better wages and compliance with the payment of night hours, among other measures.
Minimum services decreed
Portugal’s Court of Arbitration of the Economic and Social Council decreed minimum services at airports, in a decision widely criticised by the unions, including SIMA. It says that the measure decreed obliges it to ensure around 80 per cent of normal operations.
“They call it a minimum, but it’s the utmost impudence, turning the strike into a farce staged to protect the company and humiliate the workers,” the union added.
The latest wave of industrial action follows previous strikes in July and August. The unions suspended the strikes planned for the end of last month following discussions with the Ministry of Labour. Menzies denies that any progress was made.
The union stated that the cancellation of the latest strikes “was not the result of any agreement, negotiation or concession” and reiterated that its position remains unchanged.
SIMA, meanwhile, denounced the “unacceptable way in which the SPdH/Menzies management and TAP’s CEO have conducted the latest attempts at dialogue”.