Portugal strike shuts schools as easyJet crews begin a five-day walkout
Serguey Asael Shinder2 min readPortugal faced two strikes at once on 2 October, Euronews reports: a 24-hour stoppage in public administration and the start of a five-day walkout by easyJet cabin crew.
The public sector strike was called by three unions affiliated with the CGTP confederation - the national federation of public and social service workers' unions, the union of local and regional administration workers, and the Lisbon municipal workers' union - and covers more than 350,000 workers, among them operational and technical assistants and senior technicians. Education was hit hardest, with dozens of schools closed for lack of staff. "We have schools closed from the north to the south of the country, in the Azores and Madeira as well," Sebastião Santana, coordinator of the unions' Common Front, told TVI. Disruption was also expected at social security services, registry and notary offices, the justice system, rubbish collection and some local health units. The unions are demanding an immediate upgrade of career structures for these staff.
At the airports, easyJet cabin crew began a strike running until Tuesday. The civil aviation crew union SNPVAC reported strong participation and expects 80% of flights to be cancelled over the five days; its president, Ricardo Penarroias, told the Lusa agency that 443 flights had already been cancelled at Lisbon, Porto and Faro. An easyJet source told Lusa the airline expects to operate around 55% of its schedule through compulsory minimum services and flights from other European bases; the union disputes that the additional flights are lawful. The crew are seeking more stable rosters, seniority-based pay progression and improved terms in a new company agreement. A second stoppage is scheduled for 19 to 23 December.
Why it matters
Public sector pay pressure and airline labour disputes are both signs of wage demands catching up with years of higher prices. For Portugal, where tourism is a major earner, a second airline strike set for the Christmas period is the date to watch.