Source: TAP
TAP informs that it has received the SNPVAC strike notice for 8 and 9 December, thus confirming the most difficult scenario and the Cabin Crew Union total inflexibility to negotiate a solution that does not harm customers, the Company and the Portuguese.
To prevent customers with flights booked for these dates being further affected by the uncertainty as to whether their flight, due to the strike, will take place, TAP decided to cancel 360 flights scheduled for the two days of the strike. This decision will have a big cost to TAP, but it’s the right decision to protect our passengers.
This is the only solution that allows the best mitigation of the inconvenience caused to TAP customers as unfortunately the definition of minimum services can only be made up to three days before the start of the strike and the SNPVAC refused to anticipate the consultation of its members, which has the power to call off the strike and which is only scheduled for 6 December, just two days before the start of the strike.
Since the first meeting, aimed at avoiding the strike, TAP presented the SNPVAC with concrete proposals which would justify not going on strike and which would be of great benefit to cabin crew members, but the SNPVAC did not want to present them to its members.
In those meetings, TAP has been clear on two points:
– The Emergency Agreement duly adjusted with the SNPVAC cannot be amended a few months after it was signed by both parties, because this would jeopardize compliance with the Restructuring Plan;
– The SNPVAC General Meeting would have to be brought forward, to enable TAP to protect its Customers in advance and minimize the impact on their lives, to avoid unacceptable disruption at the airport and to minimize the financial impact of the strike announcement.
SNPVAC, unfortunately, did not agree to hold the General Meeting before 6 December, thus giving its members the opportunity to vote on the agreement reached with TAP.
One of the arguments invoked by the SNPVAC for not doing so is that TAP has submitted an allegedly unfavorable CLA proposal.
This argument is unfounded, as TAP is following the same procedure in this case as it has followed with all the company’s unions. Considering that the last full revision of the Company Agreement for Cabin Crew took place in 2006 and must be updated, TAP has submitted a new negotiating proposal to the SNPVAC for negotiation. The proposal in question, however, as is normal in a process of this nature, is only a basic proposal for negotiation purposes.
TAP deeply regrets the outcome of this process and the intransigent attitude of the SNPVAC, which will harm the Company, its Customers, and the Country, benefiting TAP’s direct competitors.
The process of cancelling flights and informing passengers has already begun. TAP will contact all passengers affected by these cancellations, proposing alternative flights, on different dates, or other solutions that are accepted by the Customer. With this action, as of today, and until 8 and 9 December, all TAP teams are working hard to find the best solutions and minimize all the inconvenience caused.
TAP knows that the worst scenario that its customers can face is the uncertainty of whether their flights will take place or be cancelled and, to overcome this uncertainty, TAP is anticipating the cancellation of part of its flights and is already starting to work on the solutions to be offered.
The quality of the service provided, and the defense of its customers’ interests were and always will be a priority for TAP, which remains available to negotiate with all the worker representative structures, with a sense of responsibility. This is only the start of a long process that is critical to secure the viability of TAP. The Company will not have new opportunities to become sustainable.