The Regional Government of the Azores has fulfilled its commitment to slaughterhouse workers by paying outstanding back wages for 2024, totalling €1.9 million. The payments were made in June, following a new framework that redefined the professional status and pay structure of these public-sector workers.

This action stems from Regional Legislative Decree No. 11/2024/A, which came into force in November 2024. It establishes a special career regime for employees working in the Azores’ network of public abattoirs. The government began applying the new salary scales at the start of 2025, and the June payment resolved the retroactive gap dating back to 1 January 2024.

The decision comes after industrial action on 14 May, when slaughterhouse workers staged a strike to demand back pay. At the time, the President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, assured that the payments would be made in June, while urging patience and responsibility, noting that “there are no magic wands to satisfy everyone’s ambitions.”

The strike was organised by the Union of Public and Social Workers of the South and Autonomous Regions and affected publicly managed abattoirs in the archipelago.

Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, confirmed the payments during a visit to the Terceira Island slaughterhouse. He also highlighted encouraging economic data from the first half of 2025. Notably, beef carcass exports rose by 8%, and meat with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) labels grew by 21% compared to 2020, reflecting the growing prestige and quality of Azorean meat products.

Additionally, slaughterhouses on several islands are undergoing renewal of their animal welfare certification, strengthening the region’s international reputation for ethical and high-quality meat production.