Brazil is one of the premier top holiday destinations in South America. Daily flights to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo connect the country with nearly all four corners of the world. When many travellers are busy packing up their bags to visit Brazil, the country’s two key airlines Tam Sa and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA, face a threatened strike today. This expected strike on December 23rd by employees of the airlines, in the midst of the country’s pre- Christmas travel rush can be the ‘Grinch’ Christmas-stealer for those planning to spend the eve at home or holiday in Brazil.
The strike date that is said to be two days before the Dec. 25 Christmas holiday, poses a serious threat to Brazil’s busiest air-travel season. It is the time of the year when airlines make the cream of their annual revenues and travellers do not want to miss a day.
The reason behind this sudden strike is that Brazil’s national air worker union has been in talks seeking a pay raise since September 2010. The 13 per cent raise demanded by the union, is more than twice the industry’s 6.1 per cent offer, which has resulted in a clash of the parties.
Tam is Brazil’s biggest airline based on its share of the air-travel market, while Gol is the country’s largest by stock- market value. The airlines, however, seem somewhat prepare to face the challenges as Gol said it would maintain today’s flight schedule. Air Tam, that also operates flights to Sao Paulo from London Heathrow, declined to comment on the current scenario.
Speaking to a news agency, yesterday in a telephone interview union President Selma Balbino said:
“War is war. We’re not concerned with strike law, since the only thing that matters to us now is to keep our dignity,” She further added: “I simply don’t care.”
According to the civil aviation regulator Anac, this year December traffic jumped 15.5 per cent from November’s total. President of the Brazilian industry’s trade group ‘Snea’ Mr. Jose Marcio Mollo said:
“The airlines believe both in their workers’ and the union’s common sense and dedication, especially in such a time in which the main losers would be the passengers,”
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