Portway, a handling company owned by Portugal’s airport operator ANA, has sacked 12 workers it employed at Faro Airport, citing that the positions they had been hired for had been extinguished.
According to a source from ANA, now owned by French group Vinci, the employees provided an “operating service for the mobile telescopic bridges at the airport” under a contract that ended on April 20 – and which ANA decided not to renew.
Speaking to Lusa news agency, the source added that Portway employed 12 people specifically for the job, and thus had to dismiss them.
Fernando Henriques from the aviation and airport workers’ union SITAVA said the move is “nothing more than a way of masquerading layoffs”.
“We will do everything we can to reverse this situation, which only took place in Faro but may be a warning of what is to come (at other airports),” he added.
For now, the workers’ union has already presented a complaint to the national competition authority (ACT).
The Resident tried to speak with ANA about the concrete reasons behind the sackings but has not yet received a response.
By Michael Bruxo ([email protected])
