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EasyJet cabin crew based in Portugal have voted to stage two separate strikes in October and December over poor working conditions, a move set to ground hundreds of flights.

Members of the SNPVAC union will walk out from 2 to 6 October and again between 19 and 23 December, a spokesperson confirmed.

The initial walkout alone is projected to ground around 500 scheduled flights across Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports. These union estimates do not account for any minimum service levels that authorities may subsequently mandate.

A spokesperson for the leading Portuguese crew union said working conditions "continued to deteriorate despite warnings from the union that the airline had failed to address".

The complaints centre on unstable rosters, breaches of the company agreement, discriminatory treatment compared with pilots, operational planning failures, and pressure to work overtime to cover staff shortages, the spokesperson said.

The second stoppage could have an even greater impact on the low-cost carrier's operations, as it coincides with the busy Christmas travel season, when airlines operate fuller flight schedules.

EasyJet said in a statement it was "extremely disappointed" by the strike plans that come despite ongoing talks mediated by the country's labour authority DGERT. The talks are aimed at reaching an agreement that would address employees' concerns while protecting the sustainability of its business in Portugal, it added.

It described the union's demands as "unworkable", saying crew are paid well above ‌Portugal's national ​average, and added it would do ‌everything possible to minimise ​disruption to passengers' travel plans.

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