Pilots in dispute over plans to privatise TAP Air Portugal reached their 9th day of strike, in a protest that is suppose to end tomorrow.

The pilots union is pressing for 10-20 per cent of TAP capital to be set aside for employees in the privatisation, against 5 per cent being offered by the government.

The pilots, who say the government has reneged on previous agreements, are also seeking payment of seniority bonuses frozen since 2011.

Portugal agreed with its international bailout lenders to sell off TAP as part of a privatisation programme that has raised since 2011, exceeding an initial target of.

The plan is to sell 66 per cent of the group in a first phase, of which 5 per cent will go to employees, and the remaining 34 per cent within the following two years.