Africa-Press – Cape verde. The president of the National Union of Civil Aviation Pilots (SNPAC) stated that the pilots did not comply with the civil requisition because they were not in a condition to fly and the current environment is not recommended in aviation.
According to Edmilson Aguiar, of the eight pilots requested, four were not in a condition to fly, two pilots were on sick leave and on leave, one was out of the country attending a simulator and another had an expired license.
The union leader stressed that under these conditions the operation could not be carried out and insisted that it was not a question of ill will, but rather of operational safety.
“In a tense and tense environment, it is not recommended to force pilots to operate flights. The aviation sector is extremely sensitive and requires adequate physical and psychological conditions to guarantee everyone’s safety”, he stated.
Edmilson Aguiar also explained that, for this reason, the union chose not to negotiate minimum services during the strike period.
He also added that the flight operations management was not consulted and four pilots were requisitioned who were not fit to fly.
The union leader explained that any imposition without guaranteeing the conditions required by TACV’s aeronautical and operational manuals represents a risk.
“If the pilot declares that he is not fit, even without a formal medical evaluation, he cannot be forced to fly”, he stressed.
For his part, the chairman of the board of directors of TACV, Pedro Barros, confirmed that the flight was not carried out due to a lack of crew.
“We needed a captain and a co-pilot, we tried to position a crew that was in Lisbon to operate the flight from Italy, but the co-pilot was not fit”, he explained.
Pedro Barros assured that the minimum services were discussed with the unions, but the civil requisition was a measure by the Government to ensure passenger transport.
“Despite the strike, we sought alternatives so that no passenger would be harmed, but unfortunately the flight was cancelled,” he said, estimating the losses at around 15 thousand contos.
The pilots’ strike began on Thursday, the 22nd, and will last for five days.
The demands focus on improvements in working conditions, including a review of careers, reinforcement of the safety programme, better protection of health and hygiene at work, regularisation of medical consultations, reassessment of insurance premiums and resolution of the failures in the on-board catering service.
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