The strike by workers at Menzies (formerly Groundforce), a company that provides ground handling services, was called by SIMA (Union of Metallurgical and Related Industries) and the Transport Union (STA), covering several periods between midnight on September 3rd and midnight on January 2nd, for a total of 76 days.

The Arbitration Court of the Economic and Social Council's Arbitration Council decreed minimum services, and SIMA "vehemently denounced the Arbitration Court's decision regarding the strike at SPdH/Menzies," arguing that "what was imposed is not 'minimum services'" and pointing out that it requires "ensuring approximately 80% of normal operations."

“Attack on the right to strike”

Today, in a statement, SIMA announced that it had cancelled the strike notice, believing that the conditions for workers to properly exercise their right to strike were not met, following the Arbitration Court's decision, which "resulted in a genuine attack on the right to strike of Portuguese workers in general and that company in particular."

The decision mandated 100% of flights on the mainland and islands and 35% of international flights.

According to the Union, the Arbitration Tribunal's decision is "completely contrary to previous ones" and is based "on completely unreasonable assessments and non-objective criteria regarding the duration of the strike, neglecting workers' rights, resulting in a decision worthy of a travel agency."

"We know that our government is currently intent on restricting one of workers' constitutional rights, but we cannot in any way agree with this position," SIMA emphasizes.

In the Union's view, "the entire process by which minimum services were decreed is flawed by a breach of workers' trust in a structure that should accommodate the interests of all, not just a few."

"It was with perplexity that we saw workers' arbitrators (who were not chosen by them) become employers' arbitrators. This is indeed unusual and very strange," the union emphasizes in the statement.

The Union also states that "other forms of struggle are already being considered," without specifying which ones.

SIMA had announced in August that it would schedule new strikes by workers at the company responsible for ground handling services, in alternating periods until January 2, 2026, including long weekends and busy dates such as Christmas and New Year's.

This advance notice from SIMA came after strikes held in July and August and the suspension of work stoppages scheduled for the end of August, following contacts with the Ministry of Labour.