Spanish Airport Strikes Likely Averted
Following talks between the Spanish airports’ authority Aena and the unions, an initial agreement has been reached that should avert the threatened strike action, which would have seen 22 days of strikes taking place from Easter onwards and continuing through the main summer holiday season.
This initial agreement still needs to be ratified by an assembly of Aena workers next week, but this now appears likely. The basic grievance had been that, following the proposed privatisation of Aena, there would have been a high level of redundancies and changes in working conditions, but guarantees have been made that this will no longer be the case.
Spain is currently struggling hard to emerge from a recession that has left the country with a 20% unemployment level, and any strike action affecting the tourist industry would have hit the nation’s fragile economy particularly hard. Last December, the country’s air traffic controllers staged a series of wildcat strikes which paralysed Spain’s airports and left some 600,000 passengers stranded. This latest threatened action did not involve the air traffic controllers, however, but rather the airport workers themselves, ranging from firefighters, through to baggage handlers and runway maintenance staff. In December, the government instigated emergency powers to force the air traffic controllers back to work, but such action would have been an altogether more difficult task in this instance. The controllers were not a popular group of workers within Spanish society, and were widely regarded as overpaid in the first place, and therefore any action to enforce a return to work was applauded by the Spanish people. This time, however, the grievance involved some of the country’s main unions, and any confrontation with the government would have been much more controversial. On the other hand, it has to be said that any strike action would also have been unpopular with the people, many of whom depend on tourism – directly or indirectly – for their livelihood.
Final ratification of the negotiations still has to take place by rank and file workers, but it now seems more than likely that the threat of disruption has been averted for the forthcoming season. Budget airlines and package holidays would have been particularly hard hit by any such action, but it would now appear that the Spanish tourist industry can look forward to a season that might in fact benefit from unrest in other holiday centres around the Mediterranean.
Easter Airport Strike in Spain
When will the airport strikes in Spain occur – I can hear you asking?
Well, airport strikes in Spain are planned for 22 days and on the following dates:
April: 20, 21, 24, 25 and 30
May: 2, 14, 15, 19 and 20
June: 13, 23 and 30
July: 1, 2, 3, 4, 15 and 31
August 1, 15 and 31
It hardly needs me to point out that the timings for the airport strikes in Spain are aimed at peak periods to cause the maximum disruption to everyone – including, of course, the Spanish themselves.
The big question is whether the airport strikes in Spain will actually go ahead – or be allowed to go ahead by the Spanish government..
Related Article :- Easter airport strikes in Spain, the dates of disruption