The collective dismissal of 519 workers of Soares da Costa will be carried out at the end of April. “The process is to move forward and we will make very quick progress,” said CEO Joaquim Fitas. The company has been hit by criticism by the president of the Portugal Union of Construction (SCP) for allowing the situation to drag on for months. “The dismissal was announced in December 2015,” said the union president Albano Ribeiro. He complained that the employees were in a difficult position, as they could not receive dismissal compensation until they are officially laid off.
Soares da Costa’s CEO said he understood that it was a “a harrowing situation for the workers” and explained that Soares da Costa wants to “make sure that is not doing anything illegal or procedurally wrong that causes injury to people or to the company.” Fitas revealed further that the payments to workers will amount to roughly €19m, and the money will come from “available funds in Angola,” where the construction company earns 70 percent of turnover. He claimed the funds are “ready to be transferred to Portugal when needed.” However, union president Albano Ribeiro accused Soares da Costa of wanting “to beat the workers with fatigue”. The SCP is to ask for an urgent meeting with Soares da Costa to reach a final conclusion.
