The easyJet strike has reached 73%, according to the company, but the National Union of Civil Aviation Pilots (SNPVAC) puts the level at “close to 100%”, with “93% of flights cancelled”.
In a statement sent to Lusa, easyJet said “crew participation in the strike so far has been 73%”, stressing that “the majority of flights scheduled for this Thursday will operate in the afternoon, which could have a positive impact on these figures during the day.”
“For reference: we have eight flights planned for the morning and 22 for the evening,” he clarified.
Speaking to Lusa, Ana Diaz of SNPVAC noted, however, that the level of participation in the strike is “close to 100%, since 93% of flights have already been cancelled, not counting the minimum services.”
“We now have 18 more calls in these three days. [de greve] which may or may not be cancelled, depending on the remaining crew,” he added.
Regarding the 73% membership figure put forward by easyjet, the union leader said “only if they count on flights being flown by other crew members from other bases”, but stressed “they are not on strike, it is the crew that are on strike”.
“Or they’re counting on minimal services… I really don’t know what those bills are,” he said.
The strike called by SNPVAC at easyJet began this Thursday and could affect the airline’s flights until Saturday.
SNPVAC has called for a three-day strike for all easyJet-operated flights, as well as other services to which cabin crew are assigned, “whose hours of action are in the national territory beginning at 00:01 on 15 August and ending at 24:00 on 17 August”, according to a notice delivered on 31 July.
Therefore, the strike notice does not apply to a flight departing outside Portugal and heading, for example, to Lisbon and returning to its point of departure.
EasyJet, for its part, said it planned to operate 62% of scheduled flights to or from Portugal before the cabin crew strike, including those not covered by the strike notice.
“Due to this unnecessary strike, easyJet has had to cancel some flights in its program. However, the airline plans to operate 62% of its flight program in Portugal during the strike period,” he said in a note sent to Lusa.
In response to a question from Lusa, easyJet explained that “62% relates to the original operation of scheduled flights originating or arriving in Portugal before the strike”, in other words, “the company plans to operate 62% of the originally scheduled flights that concern Portugal”.
“We had planned to operate 1,138 flights to and from Portugal between August 15, 16 and 17, but due to the strike we had to cancel 232 flights. This means that we plan to operate 906 flights to and from Portugal,” the carrier said.
SNPVAC appealed to the company’s “common sense” to give in to the just demands of its workers and to “instead of successively cancelling flights, find solutions to avoid” a strike.
The strike was approved at a general meeting with 99% of the vote, and the union accuses the company of ignoring various attempts to resolve labour issues, including staff shortages and increased working hours.
The company said customers of the cancelled flights had been contacted and would be eligible for a refund or a free transfer to a new flight.
easyJet has also advised customers travelling to and from Portugal during the strike period to check the status of their flights.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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