Azores Vice-President Slams Portuguese Ministers Over Unpaid Wages at Lajes Base

Artur Lima Criticizes Government Ministers

Artur Lima, the Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores and leader of the CDS-PP in the region, did not hold back in his criticism of the Ministry of Defense, led by Nuno Melo (who is also the president of CDS-PP), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Paulo Rangel.

In a press conference held this Wednesday, Lima stated, "It is condemnable the abandonment and negligence that these Ministries have shown towards the Azoreans."

He further emphasized that the Republic's Government "needs to get used to the fact that Portugal no longer has colonies" and that the Azores "are an autonomous region that should be respected and considered."

Lima accused the Minister of Foreign Affairs of "never having responded" to a letter he sent and charged both ministers with abandoning these Portuguese workers "to their fate."

"They are Portuguese citizens in a difficult social situation and were completely abandoned to their fate by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense," he reinforced.

On October 15, the Vice-President of the Regional Government sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs urging diplomatic action from the Republic's Government.

Lima also provided details to journalists about the solution found for these employees to receive their salaries.

Solution for Unpaid Wages at Lajes Base

Portuguese workers at the Lajes Base with overdue salaries can apply for an advance starting next Monday. This measure was coordinated between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Social Security Institute, and the banking sector.

The net salary of these workers will be transferred to their accounts, and they are required to repay the amount received within ten business days after the U.S. Government processes the salary payment.

"This model will not incur any cost for the Lajes Base employees," Lima assured.

The Vice-President of the Regional Government hopes that the Portuguese workers at the Lajes Base can start receiving payments as early as next week.

Currently, two biweekly salaries are missing because employees are paid every 15 days. Over 360 workers are affected.

These workers, employed by USFORAZORES, did not receive their pay for the last biweekly period on October 27, and the previous one was paid with a cut of four days due to a partial shutdown of the U.S. administration caused by the failure to approve the federal budget of the United States.

In the coming days, an ordinance will be published, and workers can go to Social Security to access the advance.