SATA Handling strike announced for late October

The aviation and airport workers' unions SITAVA and SINTAC have issued a strike notice for SATA Handling, scheduled to take place between October 21 and November 3.

The industrial action is a protest against the Azores Regional Government's plan to sell 100% of the region's ground handling assistance services. The unions argue that the sale is being pursued without sufficient guarantees for the workers who maintain the region's essential air transport services.

According to a joint statement, the unions claim that while the sale was previously described as a mandate from Brussels, the European Commission has reportedly confirmed in writing that a total sale is a political choice made by Portuguese authorities rather than an inevitability. The unions maintain that the plan can be modified through a request from the Member State.