Wednesday March 17, 2010
TAP Portugal pilots represented by the SPAC union have called a six-day strike starting March 26. SPAC warned that all flights will be affected except those to Madeira, which they will continue to serve to support efforts to rebound from last month's flooding. Pilots staged a two-day strike last September and have been negotiating with the carrier since. TAP President and CEO Fernando Pinto said this month in Lisbon that the sides reached an agreement in principle on "a win-win situation allowing the airline to increase its efficiency and pilots benefitting from more comfort," yet he admitted that "we are still quite a distance apart" on the valuation of the increased productivity and flexibility accepted by the pilots. TAP offered a 1.8% wage increase. It estimated that the six-day strike will cost it €30 million ($41.1 million).