Lisbon, May 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The leader of Portugal's Civil Aviation Pilots' Union (SPAC), Helder Santinhos, told Lusa on Monday it would not join the 3 June general strike against the government's draft labour law.

“We have decided to step away from this,” he said on the sidelines of the ConfCAQ 2026 - Conference on Cabin Air Quality, taking place at the Higher Institute of Engineering (ISEL) in Lisbon.

“The first general strike was timely. We took a stand, pilots and workers across the country, against the draft labour package,” he said.

He said the 3 June strike “does not seem to have the most appropriate timing,” although the union reserves the right to further protest actions.

He said this was because “unfortunately, the changes they made to the draft labour package do not seem sufficient for us to agree.”

Members of the National Civil Aviation Flight Staff Union (SNPVAC), a union representing cabin crew, approved joining the general strike on 19 May.

The CGTP national trade union federation submitted a general strike notice for 3 June against changes to the draft labour law after negotiations with the government ended without an agreement.

The government approved the bill to review the labour law during a cabinet meeting, and parliament will debate it.

Portugal’s labour, solidarity and social security minister, Rosário Palma Ramalho, announced this during a press conference, a week after the government ended negotiations on changes to draft labour legislation without an agreement in tripartite talks between the government, unions and employers.

PYR/LYT // AYLS

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