At issue is the strike called by SNITAA, following the workers' assembly held on December 28, which is scheduled to start at 00:00 on Wednesday.
The stoppage is expected to last for an indefinite period, with possible disruptions and disturbances to the activity being taken care of, with the operation of strike pickets, responsible for guaranteeing the provision of minimum services.
In the strike statement, which Lusa had access to, SNITAA stresses that the decision was taken due to “widespread dissatisfaction with the workers' claims, presented in a claim booklet submitted to ENNA-EP on 23 May 2022”.
Employees of the Empresa Nacional de Navegação Aérea (ENNA) point out that the stoppage of their activities is a way of guaranteeing the satisfaction of their “legitimate demands contained in the list of claims, namely regarding social, work and economic conditions”.
However, ENNA considers that the reasons for the strike declared by the union of workers in the sector are unfounded since the agreement signed between the parties, in August 2022, is being fulfilled.
In a statement, ENNA maintains that “the reasons for which the strike declaration is based are unfounded, insofar as the negotiation process between the parties took place under the mediation of the General Labor Inspectorate (IGT) and gave rise to a agreement signed between the parties on August 11, 2022, compliance with which has been observed”.
According to ENNA, on 1 November, the management of SNITAA demanded the employer's board of directors to resume negotiations immediately, within a period of five days after submission of the document, under penalty of declaring a strike.
“In response, ENNA-EP invited SNITAA to a review meeting on the degree of compliance with the agreement initialed on 11 August 2022, which did not happen due to their refusal to meet with a group of directors, mandated by the board of directors, allegedly because they do not have the powers to do so”, says the note, adding that this led ENAA to refer “the continuation of the negotiation process under the mediation of the General Inspectorate of Labour”.
The company also appeals to the workers' common sense, "because it has always favored dialogue and shown interest in seeing its employees' problems resolved".
The SNITAA strike covers all categories of the operational areas of communication, navigation and surveillance services, aeronautical information services, as well as the areas of technical, administrative and management support services of ENNA at national level.
Meanwhile, SNITAA reiterates its openness to dialogue with a view to resolving the installed conflict.
