TAP-Air Portugal and pilots' union try to negotiate Lufthansa model

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There has been a breakdown in the negotiation of a company-level agreement between TAP-Air Portugal and the Union of Civil Aviation Pilots, designed to provide a structure for new forms of work organisation. The pilots are planning industrial action over July-September 1997.

TAP management states that it has offered pilots a company agreement (Acordo de Empresa, AE) similar to that recently negotiated at the German airline, Lufthansa (DE9704110N) The pilots dispute this and say that in the first round of negotiations they agreed with TAP that they would accept the "Lufthansa model" with respect to working time, the periods of duty on consecutive night flights, the composition of crews, rest time between flights, days off each week and annual rest time, items which they do not now see contained in the agreement (PT9704116N).

What is at stake is the low productivity of the national airline company which, according to the pilots, results from the deficient planning of flights by the administrative services.

Thus, the pilots held a plenary meeting to demand compliance with Ministerial Order 408/87 of 14 May, which regulates flight and rest times for flight staff, and negotiation of the company agreement. The Union of Civil Aviation Pilots (Sindicato dos Pilotos da Aviação Civil, SPAC) accepted all the conditions put forward by TAP, provided that management agreed to those of Lufthansa - except in relation to pay matters such as salary levels.

According to the trade union, the problem is essentially related to rest time and days off, which it considers to be insufficient, fearing that they may compromise the safety levels of the airline. Pilots who work for Lufthansa, a company which shows a profit (unlike TAP), are available for flying on 136 days per year, whereas TAP pilots are available for flying on 196 days per year. Furthermore, Lufthansa pilots receive 176 days off a year, whilst their TAP counterparts receive only 122. On the other hand, Lufthansa pilots fly an average 671 hours per year, whereas TAP pilots fly an average 578 hours per year. However, according to official guidelines, pilots should fly an average of 574 hours per year, so TAP pilots fly 1% above.

TAP finally decided to propose its own company agreement. On 12 July 1997, SPAC held a plenary meeting at which it approved the decision that from 27 July to 31 August, TAP pilots would undertake only the work stated in the weekly plan - which in practice means a strike in relation to irregular flights that are not planned by the company (a situation which occurs frequently) and a total refusal to work overtime and on days off. After 1 September, TAP will have to plan flights on a monthly basis, with pilots refusing to accept any alterations in flight plans. Strike notices have already been served with regard to these two alterations.