If you’re flying to or out of Spain this Easter, be aware that there are two different sets of stoppages planned by airport staff which may cause delays and other disruptions for passengers.
Spain’s General Workers’ Union (UGT) has called upon ground handling staff at several Spanish airports to stage a series of walkouts during the Easter holidays.
The first set of stoppages are due to be carried out by staff at Menzies Aviation Ibérica and Menzies Ground Services, of which there are approximately 3,000 employees.
The company provides several passenger services at airports across the country including Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North.
Walkouts are due to take place on March 28th and 29th as well as April 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.
At the same time, staff from Groundforce, a company with contracts at 12 Spanish airports, will begin an indefinite strike starting Friday, March 27th. These will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during three time slots from 5am-7am, 11am-5pm and from 10pm-midnight.
This could affect the above airports, as well as Bilbao, Zaragoza, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Murcia and Santiago de Compostela.
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The Menzies strike was called after a meeting at the Inter-confederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA) failed to reach an agreement.
The UGT denounced the company’s handling of its staff saying that they alter breaks, holidays and schedules at their whim and only provide basic conditions akin to part-time contracts.
They called it a “systematic abuse of overtime, disguised as supplementary hours “.
Groundforce workers on the other hand have disagreements regarding the application of salary scales and purchasing power linked to the Consumer Price Index.
The unions say that the situation demonstrates “a lack of respect for basic rights and the purchasing power of workers, which fully justifies calling a strike”.
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Passengers heading out from any of the above airports on these strike days have been told to expect longer queues at check-in desks and security control, delays in baggage handling, and a slower boarding process.
Even if flights depart as scheduled, limited ground staff availability can lengthen waiting times, causing delays for the following flights as well.
If you are you to fly on any of the stoppage days from those airports, experts advise that you check your flight status regularly and arrive at the airport much earlier than usual, especially for international flights.
They also say that you should allow extra time for connecting flights and if possible, travel with only hand luggage to avoid baggage delays.
Those departing from airports such as Málaga, Madrid and Palma de Mallorca should leave even more time than expected as these airports typically experience the highest passenger volume over Easter in Spain.
