Spain’s airport strikes cancelled thanks to agreement
Credit:Pixabay:Sammy-Sander
Planned strikes by airport handling staff, sparked by poor working conditions, have thankfully been called off after a crucial agreement was reached, ensuring uninterrupted travel for passengers.
A last-minute agreement on a major airport strike in Spain has been made – just in in the nick of time! Travellers and the aviation sector can breathe a sigh of relief as major chaos and disruption had been forecast for the coming days or weeks. Thankfully, the deal made late last night has diverted any strike action scheduled to take place.
Strikes had been planned by airport handling staff following multiple complaints
Handling staff across Spanish airports had planned the strike following repeated complaints and disputes regarding conditions. On approving Aena contracts in September 2023, it is claimed that companies failed to deliver what they had promised and that these violations of contract had imposed a “serious impact” on handling workers across Spanish airports. According to unions, handling staff had been continually subjected to unsatisfactory working conditions including understaffing , unpaid overtime and a working environment that was not conducive to a positive working environment.
Last night, an agreement was reached between the industry association Aseata (Asociación de Empresas de Servicios de Asistencia en Tierra en Aeropuertos) and the unions CC OO, UGT, and USO, who had launched formal complaints earlier this month. They had carried these conflicts forward, formally advising Aseata of plans to strike on October 3, which prompted widespread panic as airports began to prepare for scenes of major disorder.
Agreement reached between unions and airport handling companies
Before the agreement was signed, a tense meeting took place wherein handling companies addressed several of the unions’ concerns and duly presented some of the proposals to solve them. Despite being slightly dissatisfied by the final result, the unions who had generated significant pressure around the issue will formally formalise the agreement through the SIMA (System for Mediation and Arbitration). This will ensure that a resolution is achieved and that further conflict and disturbance is avoided.
The unions maintain that this is only provisional and an initial step towards achieving homogeneity of workers’ rights in this sector. Handling companies should be fulfilling their promises and obligations under the new contracts and should be engaging in constructive discussions to continue to make further changes to the conditions of their staff. For the time being, travellers can rest easy, assured that their journeys through Spanish airports will go ahead as scheduled.
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