Strike at Menzies causes delays and 19 flights cancelled at Lisbon airport

The strike by SPdH/Menzies (formerly Groundforce) workers has already led to the cancellation of 19 flights – nine arrivals and ten departures – at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, according to data from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal sent to Lusa.

The national airport manager advises passengers on flights operated by Menzies, the company responsible for ground handling services, to contact their airline in advance to confirm the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

Speaking to Lusa, Carlos Araújo, leader of the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA), said that, by 3:00 pm, at least 25 flights had departed with only passengers, without luggage or cargo.

“I believe that in some cases it is absolute chaos, as they have been letting passengers in with their luggage to try to get around the situation,” he denounced.

SIMA represents about 4% of the approximately 3,600 workers at Menzies, and, according to the union leader, about 80% of members joined the strike, which was also joined by workers from other unions.

The strike, called by SIMA and the Transport Union (ST), began at midnight today and will continue until midnight on Monday.

This is the first of five four-day strikes scheduled for weekends until early September .

In August, strike periods are scheduled for August 8-11, 15-18, 22-25 and 29-September 1 .

Workers' demands include an end to base wages below the national minimum wage, payment for night shifts, better salary conditions, and maintaining access to the parking lot under the same conditions as before.

In a statement sent to newsrooms this afternoon, SIMA also denounced “serious security” failures in SPdH/Menzies services, such as the existence of only one technician per boarding gate and the presence of workers without adequate training providing services to Delta airline.

The union also warned of "unsafe" procedures, such as requests for baggage loading made by telephone between departments, which it considers a violation of airport security regulations.

According to the union, today around 30 flights will have departed without checked baggage, which could cause “serious inconvenience” to passengers upon arrival.

In this sense, in the same statement, the union structure also questions the absence of inspectors from the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) and the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) at airports, and demands urgent intervention by the competent entities.

The Arbitral Tribunal determined minimum services for assistance to all flights related to critical security situations, emergency, military, State and TAP night-stop flights on a European scale, as well as regular connections between Lisbon and the Azores and Madeira, and between Porto and the archipelagos.

The strike by SPdH/Menzies (formerly Groundforce) workers has already led to the cancellation of 19 flights – nine arrivals and ten departures – at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, according to data from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal sent to Lusa.

The national airport manager advises passengers on flights operated by Menzies, the company responsible for ground handling services, to contact their airline in advance to confirm the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

Speaking to Lusa, Carlos Araújo, leader of the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA), said that, by 3:00 pm, at least 25 flights had departed with only passengers, without luggage or cargo.

“I believe that in some cases it is absolute chaos, as they have been letting passengers in with their luggage to try to get around the situation,” he denounced.

SIMA represents about 4% of the approximately 3,600 workers at Menzies, and, according to the union leader, about 80% of members joined the strike, which was also joined by workers from other unions.

The strike, called by SIMA and the Transport Union (ST), began at midnight today and will continue until midnight on Monday.

This is the first of five four-day strikes scheduled for weekends until early September .

In August, strike periods are scheduled for August 8-11, 15-18, 22-25 and 29-September 1 .

Workers' demands include an end to base wages below the national minimum wage, payment for night shifts, better salary conditions, and maintaining access to the parking lot under the same conditions as before.

In a statement sent to newsrooms this afternoon, SIMA also denounced “serious security” failures in SPdH/Menzies services, such as the existence of only one technician per boarding gate and the presence of workers without adequate training providing services to Delta airline.

The union also warned of "unsafe" procedures, such as requests for baggage loading made by telephone between departments, which it considers a violation of airport security regulations.

According to the union, today around 30 flights will have departed without checked baggage, which could cause “serious inconvenience” to passengers upon arrival.

In this sense, in the same statement, the union structure also questions the absence of inspectors from the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) and the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) at airports, and demands urgent intervention by the competent entities.

The Arbitral Tribunal determined minimum services for assistance to all flights related to critical security situations, emergency, military, State and TAP night-stop flights on a European scale, as well as regular connections between Lisbon and the Azores and Madeira, and between Porto and the archipelagos.

The strike by SPdH/Menzies (formerly Groundforce) workers has already led to the cancellation of 19 flights – nine arrivals and ten departures – at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, according to data from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal sent to Lusa.

The national airport manager advises passengers on flights operated by Menzies, the company responsible for ground handling services, to contact their airline in advance to confirm the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

Speaking to Lusa, Carlos Araújo, leader of the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA), said that, by 3:00 pm, at least 25 flights had departed with only passengers, without luggage or cargo.

“I believe that in some cases it is absolute chaos, as they have been letting passengers in with their luggage to try to get around the situation,” he denounced.

SIMA represents about 4% of the approximately 3,600 workers at Menzies, and, according to the union leader, about 80% of members joined the strike, which was also joined by workers from other unions.

The strike, called by SIMA and the Transport Union (ST), began at midnight today and will continue until midnight on Monday.

This is the first of five four-day strikes scheduled for weekends until early September .

In August, strike periods are scheduled for August 8-11, 15-18, 22-25 and 29-September 1 .

Workers' demands include an end to base wages below the national minimum wage, payment for night shifts, better salary conditions, and maintaining access to the parking lot under the same conditions as before.

In a statement sent to newsrooms this afternoon, SIMA also denounced “serious security” failures in SPdH/Menzies services, such as the existence of only one technician per boarding gate and the presence of workers without adequate training providing services to Delta airline.

The union also warned of "unsafe" procedures, such as requests for baggage loading made by telephone between departments, which it considers a violation of airport security regulations.

According to the union, today around 30 flights will have departed without checked baggage, which could cause “serious inconvenience” to passengers upon arrival.

In this sense, in the same statement, the union structure also questions the absence of inspectors from the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) and the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) at airports, and demands urgent intervention by the competent entities.

The Arbitral Tribunal determined minimum services for assistance to all flights related to critical security situations, emergency, military, State and TAP night-stop flights on a European scale, as well as regular connections between Lisbon and the Azores and Madeira, and between Porto and the archipelagos.