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Spanish airports warn of strike action over Easter
The ongoing dispute between the Spanish government and airport workers is threatening to disrupt air travel to Mallorca over the Easter holidays. The air traffic controller's union USCA remain unhappy with the negotiations over employment contracts with the airports operator AENA, who want to freeze wages and limit overtime.
The union have said that there could be covert strikes during the Easter holidays if no progress in made. The weekend of the 22-25th April is targetted, as is the time of the local elections on 22nd May. With Easter, the Royal wedding & the May bank holiday all falling within a week of each other, many British holiday makers will be taking advantage of the public holidays to take a break. Holiday destinations such as Mallorca will be particularly badly hit by any industrial action.
In addition, airport workers are unhappy with government plans to part-privatise the airport operator AENA. The government hopes to raise €9 billion by selling a 49% stake of AENA to help reduce the country's deficit. The plans will include privatising Majorca's airport in Palma, and workers here held a protest against the plans last weekend. They are concerned that the plans will mean job losses and changes to their working conditions.
The Spanish government remain confident that the situation will be resolved and that a deal between the unions and AENA will be agreed.
