TAP increases workers’ wages after six years of freezing – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
 

After six years frozen the salaries of employees of TAP will be increased by 0.9%, retroactive to January this year, to be paid in September. The decision was announced on Friday by the government to the nine unions platform representing close to 3,400 company employees.

In addition to the review of the pay scale, has announced one grant update power, whose value will rise from the current 4.68 euros to 6.10 euros. Payment will be started in January 2017 and through the increasingly recurrent meal cards, which are not subject to taxes.

Negotiations with the unions began earlier this year and this outcome is considered a victory for the workers, who, besides not being increased since 2010, were subject (although with an alternative model less penalizing) the remuneration cuts applied to public companies, the result of the country’s adjustment program.

These updates only cover the 3375 land officials TAP covered by the nine unions that make up the platform. In this group are not included, for example, pilots and crew members, who have kept negotiations.

David Paes, president of the Association of Civil Aviation Pilots, said that these professionals “understand that TAP employees not must be in the same tuning fork “and at the same time,” emphasize other aspects “that not only wage increases. Still, he said that the negotiations that the union structure has maintained with the company’s management does not conflict with that objective. “With serenity and consistency there will certainly be a window of opportunity to discuss this issue at the rate of drivers,” he added.

When contacted, an official source TAP confirmed that there is an “agreement in principle” with the unions although still “remains to ratification by the board of directors.” On the results of negotiations with the pilots and crew, the air carrier did not advance details, referring only that the agreement “has a similar size in terms of values, but follows a different logic.” That is, the revisions should not materialize necessarily wage increases, but rather another type of benefits that these workers give importance.

The increases take place after TAP have been privatized, the sale of 61% of the capital to the Atlantic Gateway consortium. At this time, pending the conclusion of the agreement to return to the state 50% of the company, although management and the large share of economic go remain the private ‘side.

The air carrier believes it will close the year 2016 with positive operating results, recovering from losses of nearly 100 million euros it recorded in 2015. in the first half, operating results remained in negative territory – were 28 2 million euros – but drew a reduction in losses of more than 74% over the same period of 2015. “Historically, the first half results are always worse than the second. There are reasons to believe that the accounts will have a positive balance, “said source of TAP

It is the second half of the year which are situated the most important months in terms of operation:. Months summer and Christmas holidays. The weight of each of the semesters in revenues is 47% for the first half and 53% for the second. “When in question is a sales volume of around two billion euros, these growth rates are of great importance in the outcome,” he explains.

In the first half TAP recorded a turnover of 985.2 million, while in 2015 was 1.0084 billion euros. In 2014 TAP made a loss of 99 million euros, the worst of the last five years of the company, a result compounded by retaining 91.4 million in Venezuela. In 2014 the losses were 46 million euros.