Spanish Airport Strikes Disrupt Easter Travel as 12 Airports Face Indefinite Action
UK holidaymakers are facing significant travel chaos this Easter as indefinite strikes by ground staff have commenced at 12 major Spanish airports. The industrial action, which began on Monday, 30th March, is expected to impact over 1.34 million passengers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Strike Details and Affected Airports
The strikes involve 5,578 workers from companies like Groundforce, with partial work stoppages scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The stoppages will occur during three time slots: from 5am to 7am, from 11am to 5pm, and from 10pm to midnight. If no agreement is reached, these protests could continue on weekends until the end of the year, according to union statements.
The affected airports include:
- Barcelona-El Prat
- Madrid-Barajas
- Ibiza
- Palma de Mallorca
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Fuerteventura
- Bilbao
- Lanzarote
- Alicante
- Valencia
- Málaga
Causes and Union Demands
The strikes have been called by trade unions CCOO, UGT, and USO, primarily over worker rights and contracts. Ground staff and check-in agents are demanding wage increases, leading to this intermittent strike action. The dispute was delayed by three days from its original start date last Friday as a goodwill gesture during negotiations.
In the Canary Islands, approximately 1,000 workers are affected, with the CCOO union emphasizing the significance of the strike due to the importance of air traffic to the regional economy. Spanish airport operator Aena has advised passengers to contact their airlines for flight status updates.
Additional Industrial Action and Negotiations
Meanwhile, the UGT union is also dealing with a separate strike at Menzies, scheduled from 2nd to 6th April, affecting around 600 employees due to the company's organisational insolvency. Talks were held over the weekend, with sources indicating progress that could potentially resolve this strike.
Both Groundforce and Menzies had previously called off planned industrial action last weekend to facilitate ongoing discussions. However, with the indefinite strikes now in effect, travellers are urged to prepare for delays and disruptions throughout the Easter holiday period.
