MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian airline pilots' strike over

The airline workers voted virtually between 6 am Saturday and noon Sunday to accept the offer and return to their posts

Brazil's National Union of Aeronauts (SNA) Sunday agreed by 70.11% of the 5,834 votes to accept the airlines' offer and lift the two-hour daily strike that had been going on for about a week, but which had been lifted temporarily for Christmas weekend and was to resume Monday. Meanwhile, 28.8% of the SNA members rejected the proposal and abstentions reached 1.09%.

The airline workers voted virtually between 6 am Saturday and noon Sunday on SNA's website.

Regarding work schedules and ground time, the proposal defines the starting time of leaves and compensation for non-compliance by the companies, as well as the possibility of starting vacations on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays.

When the strike began on Dec. 19 halting operations between 6 am and 8 am, the employers offered extra pay for time off sold, which angered pilots who insisted they needed to rest between flights.

“This is the beginning of a new era,” SNA President Henrique Hacklaender said. “We have to reduce the number of complaints and denunciations that the union has through ombudsmen. We will, yes, improve our collective agreement and have very good labor contracts”, he added.

“The fight goes on, we are still here battling for improvements because there are many improvements to be made, but the moment now is one of thanks,” SNA Administration and Finance Director Lilia Cavalcanti said.

During the strike, flights were stopped at the airports of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, and Fortaleza.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)