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More Spanish airport strikes spell disaster for Easter travellers
The ground crew strikes in Madrid could result in 1,000 cancelled flights
Employees of the Platform Management Service (SDP) at Madrid's Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport are planning to go on strike for two days, on Wednesday March 27 and Friday March 29, right in the middle of the busy Easter travel season.
The strike is being called to demand improved working conditions and higher salaries.
The Union of Workers of the General Confederation of Labour (UGT), which represents the employees, claims that the strike could potentially disrupt up to 2,000 flights. The union alleges that the employer, Serveo-Skyway, has failed to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the workers' concerns.
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has not yet announced any contingency plans or minimum service requirements, leaving passengers uncertain about the potential impact on their travel plans. However, if 2,000 flights are scheduled during the two-day industrial action, the union estimates that between 800 and 1,000 will be axed.
This latest worry for holidaymakers comes just days after tour operators in the UK warned passengers to expect plenty of cancellations and delays over Easter as a result of ongoing strikes at Palma de Mallorca airport.
Now the Spanish capital is posing another concern for tourists. This is not the first time that SDP employees have gone on strike at Madrid Airport either. Back in December 2019, staff staged a 100% successful strike, although it did not result in any major disruptions to Spanish air traffic.
Aena, the airport operator, reports that Madrid-Barajas Airport has the largest flight schedule among all Spanish airports for Easter, with 11,656 flights scheduled.
The union representing the striking employees is asking for salary increases and the chance to implement its own collective bargaining agreement.
They argue that workers' salaries have decreased significantly over the past decade, with new hires earning nearly 30% less than their colleagues did 11 years ago. Moreover, employees have reportedly lost 10 days of vacation time since the creation of their jobs, and their workload has increased substantially.
Image: Nemo via Wikimedia Commons
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