The Portuguese Government intends to approve a new law establishing flight time limitations, duty time and rest requirements for mobile staff in civil aviation, which will replace Decree-Law 139/2004.
After an analysis of the proposal, which is up for public consideration until 8 July, it is the SNPVAC’s understanding that it represents a serious assault on the working conditions of CABIN CREWS, particularly with regard to safety and health requirements concerning rest, as it makes night periods consecutive and reduces compulsory rest periods.
Air transport is based on compliance with high safety standards in order to prevent the occurrence of accidents, serious incidents and aeronautical incidents. The measures restricting rest included in this Proposed Decree-Law result in serious consequences for the safety and health of crew members, but also, and above all, for flight safety.
Airlines are bound by the general duty to provide their employees with good working conditions, from a physical and moral point of view, as well as by the special duties inherent to the nature of the air activity, to adopt adequate measures to prevent risks, taking into account, on the one hand, the protection of the crew members’ safety and health, and on the other hand, flight safety. This proposal clearly benefits the airlines, conditioning future negotiations of Company Agreements.
The loss of rights through a Decree-Law prejudices all Crew Members. The emergence of this document at this stage is completely unnecessary, so the immediate suspension of the approval of this draft law is required.
The Portuguese State should be required to maintain the working rules for cabin crew members.
