Lisbon Airport workers on strike over Christmas and New Year

The union called for a strike by airport workers at Humberto Delgado Airport for the Christmas and New Year period. It requires increasing base salaries and improving working conditions.

“We fought for fair wage increases,” the groundhandling workers said in a statement. Menzies Aviation workers from Portugal, who offer groundhandling (distributors) at airports, started a strike this Sunday that will last until December 26, followed by another of Portway’s employees until January 1, 2025.

Dozens of flights were canceled in Portugal on Sunday, as ground crews began a five-day strike at the country's airports. The chaos is compounded by storms raging over Madeira, which are making it difficult for planes to land and take off at Funchal Airport. The paralysis of transport is complicating the arrival of thousands of tourists to the archipelago during the Christmas and New Year period.

The workers of Menzies Aviation of Portugal, which offers assistance on land (handling) at the airports, began this Sunday a strike that will last until 26 December, followed by another of the employees of Portway until 1 January 2025. The airport manager ANA Airports of Portugal warned that these two protests can generate some alterations in the flights over the next few days.

Ground handling workers want to demand better wage and working conditions.

Aircraft noise is “an important constraint on the desirable functioning” of the Júlio de Matos Hospital, says ULS São José, explaining that this constraint has a particular effect because it is a hospital that primarily treats people with mental health problems.