According to Defense Minister Nuno Melo’s answer to MP Francisco Pimentel (PSD), the US doesn’t want to review the salary structure at the Lajes Base despite the fact that salaries are lower than the regional minimum wage.
“The remuneration of Feusaçores workers depends on the cooperation and defense agreement between Portugal and the US, and has no automatic updating mechanism or indexation to national remuneration changes,” according to a response from the Ministry of Defense sent to Parliament.
At stake are workers in the service of the Americans in Lajes, some of whom earn less than the regional minimum wage.
In 2024, the Regional Government defended the revision of the workers’ wage supplement, stating that it had intervened with the Americans to ensure compliance with the regional minimum wage.
In September 2022, a wage supplement was created to equalize the basic salary of the workers in question through the use of seniority.
Francisco Pimentel questioned the Ministry of Defense on whether it was aware of the situation and willing to take steps to move forward with the “immediate revision of the salary structure of these workers, without relying on supplements that are merged and confused with seniority” and, if the salary supplement is maintained, whether it can be included in the articles of the current labor agreement.
In its reply, the government states, “So far, the US is not willing to move forward with this, given the complexity of this revision.”

EIGHT CASES
Vítor Silva, who heads the Union of Workers in the Manufacturing, Food, Beverage and Similar Industries, Commerce, Offices and Services (SITACEHT/Azores), has already said that eight Portuguese workers working at Lajes Base earn less than the regional minimum wage, which is 913.50 euros (5% more than the national minimum wage).
The president of the Lajes Base Workers’ Commission, Paula Terra, who was heard by the deputies, said that although we are talking about only eight workers – which could soon rise to 12 due to the lack of a salary review – the problem has a direct impact on the economy of Terceira island.
A salary survey carried out in the Azores, in public and private entities, regulated the salary update at the Lajes Base.
However, the Americans complained about the calculated salary increase figures and refused to apply them despite the fact that the agreement provided for the survey.
A proposal to review the formula on a Portuguese initiative was eventually approved by the competent committees of the Lajes Agreement. Still, the consequences were poorly measured, to the point where salaries below the regional minimum were possible.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.