Last Thursday’s meeting between the National Union of Civil Aviation Workers (SINTAC), the Union of Aviation and Airport Workers (SITAVA), and SATA’s Board of Directors resulted in a formal compromise between all parties. This compromise allowed the strike announced for September 13 to October 13, 2024, to be called off, as well as the strike on overtime work that had also been announced.
Speaking to Rádio Açores/TSF, SINTAC’s vice president said he was pleased with this consensus because he didn’t want to “go on strike: that would be a defeat for everyone.”
“There was an important intervention here by the Directorate of Labor Services and the Secretariat of Transport, which brokered the agreement. It’s never what we wanted at the beginning, it’s never everything we wanted, but it’s an agreement that meets our demands. [SATA] accepted a good part of our demands, and the members consider it a good agreement,” said Filipe Rocha.
Although the union leader advocated an increase in the basic salary rather than an increase through supplements, the union reached a compromise with the airline.
“The company accepted that a significant part of the salary increases could take place in basic salaries. We accepted that the company could put another part in the supplement, which we had been rejecting from the start, and the company also accepted that these increases could occur with some speed, albeit over the next two years, but with more consistency in the basic salary,” explained Filipe Rocha.

When asked whether social peace will be guaranteed until 2026, SINTAC’s vice president points out that this is the union’s commitment “as long as the company doesn’t repeat the negotiating mistakes of the recent past.”
“We will always react when we feel wronged. At the moment, the agreement we have and what we anticipate is that, if there are no surprises, social peace will be guaranteed,” he added.
For its part, SATA issued a statement indicating that a solution has been found that balances the company’s future.
“In view of the understanding reached, which honored the commitments agreed in the past, the parties consider that a viable solution has been reached, capable of guaranteeing the balanced future of the company, which restores tranquility to the internal climate and guarantees the regularity of the air transport services provided,” reads the document sent to journalists.

by Rafael Dutra, a journalist for Açoriano Oriental newspaper, Paula Gouveia-director

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