Portugal airports brace for travel chaos amid workers’ strike
Portuguese airports are set to face travel disruptions over the New Year as ground handlers go on strike. Workers from SPdH/Menzies, formerly Groundforce, plan to walk out on December 31 and January 1.
However, Portugal’s arbitration court has ruled that minimum services must be maintained, according to Lusa. During the strike, ground handling for state, military, emergency, humanitarian, and rescue flights must continue uninterrupted, along with operations essential for the safety of people, aircraft, and airport facilities, News.Az reports, citing Euronews.
The court also mandated that air connections to the autonomous regions—at least one flight—and other operations deemed essential under labor law must be covered by minimum services.
The strike, planned by Sitava (the Aviation and Airport Workers’ Union) and STHAA (the Handling, Aviation and Airport Workers’ Union), stems from uncertainty over the future of workers following a tender for ground handling licenses. A preliminary report from the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), cited by Lusa, places the Clece/South consortium in first position in the tender.
Although the government has extended existing licenses until May 2026, the unions are demanding written guarantees to secure jobs. Of approximately 3,700 SPdH/Menzies workers, around 2,000 would be directly affected by the new tender.
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