TAP will raise the minimum wage for its workers from €1,330 to €1,410 retroactively through January and cut pilot pay cuts by 10%, the airline announced today.
“As a result of this open and ongoing dialogue, it was decided to upgrade the guaranteed minimum wage from €1,330 to €1,410 retroactively until January 2022. This will ensure that the principle of protecting an uncut level of remuneration equivalent to two national minimum wages is maintained,” the TAP executive committee said in a statement sent to the workers and to which Lusa had access.
According to the letter, specifically for pilots, an executive committee chaired by Christine Urmier-Widener “will unilaterally reduce the cuts they have incurred by 10%,” as well as pay the landing allowance without reduction and retroactively until January 2022 and suspend the application. mechanism of “return” (and, accordingly, do not plan overtime work).
The “clawback” mechanism is provided for in paragraph 12 of the ATE [Acordo Temporário de Emergência] and allows a fine to be applied to TAP if it exceeds 300,000 flight hours per year, as well as limits that TAP cannot schedule overtime for pilots, as explained in a note that Lusa had access to.
In terms of the aircraft fleet for the coming years, the company said the “executive team’s final decision” points to an “Embraer fleet of 19 aircraft for 2022” and “an increase in the Airbus fleet is expected” for 2023. .
“We are working on scenarios and preparing them for approval by our shareholders,” he said.
On Wednesday, a group of trade unions representing the majority of TAP workers said the TAP executive committee had decided to break off the “negotiation process.”
Various trade union structures emphasized that they understood that “the executive committee of the TAR put itself in a position of confrontation, disrupting the course of the negotiations that took place, taking on from that moment all the duties that may arise in the future.”
On Saturday, the Civil Aviation Pilots Union (SPAC) accused TAP of taking a “baffling negotiating position” by issuing an “ultimatum” as it gave a deadline of Tuesday to accept its proposal under pain of changing the agreement. as part of the restructuring.
The SPAC said in a statement that “Given that TAP is unable to respond, this letter clearly represents an unacceptable position for the company, demonstrating an incomprehensible negotiating position.”
According to the pilots’ union, if the proposal is not accepted, “TAP is unilaterally changing the ATE. [Acordo Temporário de Emergência]with up to 10% additional trim reduction [em vez dos atuais 20% adicionais] until November 30 of the current year, suspending the “return” mechanism for the same period.
Today, TAP decided to unilaterally make the changes it proposed to SPAC.
In a message sent to workers, the air carrier’s executives warn that growth in volumes and activity “does not mean the company is profitable” as it needs to “meet all financial obligations of the recovery plan to create a sustainable PUSH.”
The executive committee also added that TAP’s path to recovery is “gaining new momentum in recent months” thanks to the start of the market recovery and financial assistance from the state, without which “the company would not have survived.”
“But let there be no doubt: the company is still in crisis and the financial situation is still very fragile,” argue TAP managers, who highlight new difficulties, such as fuel costs and exchange rate fluctuations, due to economic developments and war in Ukraine. .
“TAP must continue to meet all the assumptions and goals set out in the Restructuring Plan approved just six months ago. The company is committed to this plan and its survival depends on meeting the agreed commitments.
The Board also makes it clear that the current pay cuts are “an obligation of everyone during the life of the plan” and that they cannot be changed “simply because business volumes increase”.
“In addition, one of the main goals identified for these cuts was to be able to accept a guaranteed minimum wage to which no cuts would apply. The application of this minimum guarantee means that the actual reductions are not 25%, but vary on average from 12% to 15%,” the letter says.
In terms of pilots specifically, the executive committee acknowledges that the emergency agreement reached under the recovery plan is “more demanding and difficult” due to additional cuts, but claims they were agreed to keep jobs during the life of the plan.
“Fortunately, with the increase in work next summer, it is no longer necessary to protect the same number of pilot jobs through a temporary emergency agreement, and TAP management is sensitive to this factor,” added the message, which ensures that the TAP Executive Committee seeks to “maintain an open dialogue with trade unions, pilots and all workers”.
