“You need to tell easyJet that Portugal is not a second-class country,” defends Mariana Mortagua.

BE coordinator Mariana Mortagua said today it is necessary to “tell easyJet that Portugal is not a second class country” given that the government cannot allow the company to “violate the law regarding the right to strike”.

On the last of five days of the easyJet cabin crew strike, Mariana Mortagua traveled to Lisbon airport to show solidarity with these workers, criticizing the airline for choosing to “cancel flights and influence its work rather than meet and provide working conditions.”

“I have to tell easyJet that Portugal is not a second-rate country. You cannot come to Germany, France or the UK and pay your employees two thousand, three thousand, four thousand euros, and then come to Portugal and pay the minimum wage for more hours of work or pay a salary of a thousand euros,” he said.

According to the BE leader, apart from the airline, “the government also has obligations.”

“The government cannot allow a company of this size, with such responsibility, after seizing Portela’s slots, to treat its employees in this way and, above all, break the law, break the law in terms of the right to strike,” he said.

For Mariana Mortagua, it is necessary to “increase the wages of these workers”, and the striking flight attendants are “absolutely right”.

There is a need to “challenge the government to mobilize with easyJet to comply with the law and put pressure on easyJet to know that Portugal is not a second-rate country. She should pay decent wages here,” he stressed.

The BE coordinator also stated that the fact that Portugal is a “low wage economy” should be rejected given that easyJet is an example of this type of economy.

“A big company that comes to Portugal that claims to be a flagship company that is located at the Lisbon airport that gets the ‘slots’ that were from TAP and then pays its workers unworthy wages,” he criticized.

Mortagua also denounced the “intransigence against the strike” on the part of the company, which she accused of “forcing workers to withdraw from the strike, using illegal methods in an attempt to prevent the consequences of the strike.”

The president of the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) today urged easyJet to submit an “at least workable” proposal to the cabin crew, which has been on strike with 90% commitment since Friday.

“No one takes a strike lightly. We regret the inconvenience we are causing to passengers. It is important that the company realizes that with this wear and tear it is not going anywhere and is detrimental to all parties involved, and that it is presenting a serious proposal that we can call feasible,” said Ricardo Penarroyas.

Speaking to Lusa during the last five days of the strike, which has resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights and calls, the president of SNPVAC expressed regret that the company “decided to leave the negotiating table” by giving the union and workers a chance to resume dialogue.

“The company has left the negotiating table. We have not gone anywhere. We hope that after the strike the company will present a proposal that is closer to what we want,” he said.