In a statement, the SNPVAC union said that at a general assembly at its headquarters in Lisbon, Ryanair employees in the union voted to approve a stoppage “during the month of August for a minimum period of five days”.

Because of the length of the strike, the SNPVAC is looking at options for dates for the action, taking into account "the migrant community and the Portuguese diaspora", so as to ensure so that they are not "too penalised" by the impact on Ryanair flights.

According to the union, cabin crew have taken this position because "the company has never fulfilled the protocol concluded with the union on 28 November 2018 in which it was established [that it would observe] mandatory compliance with Portuguese labour legislation by 1 February 2019, something that until the present has not been fulfilled."

In practice, the union explained, this relates to the payment of holiday and Christmas allowances, the hiring as Ryanair staff of all cabin crew members with more than two years of service via temping companies "without loss of remuneration [or] seniority and with the same fundamental conditions of work and employment of the other members of staff", as well as the allocation of the legal minimum of 22 days’ holiday a year and full compliance to local laws on maternity and paternity benefits.

The Ryanair cabin crew union said that they "do not accept that Portuguese law continues to be totally disrespected, and what’s more, with the endorsement of the Portuguese government by omission" – a reference to a perceived lack of action on the part of the authorities in enforcing local laws.

"In view of the company’s intransigence of the company, the lack of interest [from] and the total passivity of the Portuguese Government in guaranteeing fundamental rights to Portuguese nationals working at Ryanair, Ryanair's cabin crew members have been obliged to vote for a return to labour conflict so that their rights are respected and fully met by the Irish company," the statement concludes.