TAP Air Portugal Cabin Staff Warns of Repeat Strike

DALLAS — Cabin crews at TAP Air Portugal (TP) announced they will strike at the end of January in protest for higher wages and better working conditions at the state-owned airline.

On Monday, the general assembly of the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) announced its plans for the strike on January 9.

The strike announcement comes after TP cabin crews went on strike on December 8 and 9. This led to 360 flight cancellations and affected thousands of passengers before the busy holiday season from their hubs at Lisbon Airport (LIS) and Porto Airport (OPO). During the December actions, TP said that it cost the airlines €8m (US$8.60m) in revenue and affected almost 50,000 passengers.

While most flights were canceled, under Portuguese law, some protected flights must be operated even amid the strike. These protected flights included Azores and Madeira, which are Portuguese- speaking nations and are vital for many Portuguese immigrant communities.

TAP is under a €3.2bn bailout plan approved by the European Union. The bailout plan included downsizing the airline's fleet, reducing workers' wages by 25%, and cutting over 2,900 employees. The cuts have come when inflation has forced workers to struggle with higher costs.

The SNPVAC announced the strike after disagreeing with TAP. In a statement by the SNPVAC, the union said, "Tomorrow we will issue a pre-strike notice of seven days, from 25 to January 31st."

The Star Alliance airline operates on average 2,500 flights a week to 90 destinations in 34 countries worldwide.

Featured image: TAP Air Portugal