SEF border control guards at Porto airport are exhausted due to overly demanding working conditions and the fact that flights into the city are increasing all the time.
Acácio Pereira, leader of union SCIF/SEF, says the situation is “critical”. ~
Workloads and timetimbles have increased exponentially since flights have been diverted from Lisbon’s ‘saturated’ Humberto Delgado airport capital, without staffing levels being increased.
Stresses Pereira, the need for new inspectors is now ‘urgent’.
He told journalists: “We will only be able to combat problems like illegal immigration, the falsification of documents and people trafficking if new inspectors are hired”.
The union will be holding an extraordinary regional meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss the lack of inspectors in the north – a failing which all concerned fear will become even more apparent with the demands of the looming festive season.
