The British low-cost company Easyjet canceled 16 flights, out of the 158 planned for today, a company source told Lusa, questioned about the impact of the cabin staff strike, which started on Saturday in Portugal.
«In total we had 52 protected flights [cancelled] and we operated 530 flights in Portugal, 80% of what was planned», reads the information sent to Lusa on the third and last day of the strike, called to demand salary increases and better working conditions.
According to the company, on Saturday, 16 flights were cancelled, out of the 192 planned, and on Sunday, 20 flights were cancelled, out of a total of 180.
«On Saturday, we even inaugurated a new route, Porto – Naples. About Faro, in particular, we will operate 91% of the operation on Saturday (64 flights) and on Sunday we will operate 90% of the operation, 56 flights)».
The company claims to have operated “more than 80% of its flight program” on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of April.
For today, it estimates to secure 77% of the operation planned for the country.
“We will continue to do everything possible to minimize the impact of the strike on customers. Passengers with reservations on flights within the strike period also have the option to change their flight,” the company said in a statement.
EasyJet advises customers to check the flight status on the flight tracker (https://www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker) and, if necessary, make changes on the website (“Manage Bookings” tab).
«We are disappointed with this strike, especially taking into account the significant investment we have made in the country in recent years, which has created hundreds of new jobs in Portugal and we hope that SNPVAC will resume a constructive dialogue with us», said the company.
The airline currently employs more than 750 people, of which around 534 are cabin crew.
The France-Presse agency reported over the weekend the cancellation of dozens of flights, namely from Bastai (France), Birmingham (United Kingdom) and Basel (Switzerland), originating in Lisbon, as well as Madrid, from Porto, according to information from Aeroportos de Portugal (ANA), which advised passengers to find out before going to the airport.
The Ministry of Infrastructure, which oversees transport, has established a minimum service of 54 flights, according to AFP.
For its part, Easyjet indicated that it was doing everything to “minimize the impact” of the action, explaining that it tried to anticipate the effects of the strike, canceling flights in advance and giving customers the possibility of changing trips for free or obtaining a refund.
According to the National Union of Civil Aviation Personnel, which called for the stoppage, the company canceled 78 flights in the three days of the strike, which corresponds to about 30% of scheduled flights, at the time of the strike notice announcement, in March 17th.
Workers demand wage increases, "frozen since 2019" and improved working conditions, a union spokesman explained to AFP.
In the Easyjet network in Europe, they claim to be “the least well paid”. They also claim that they work longer hours, with shorter rest periods”. But the company says it complies with the country's laws.
Comments