Striking workers say they will paralyse the airport for at least three hours after accusing bosses of failing to respect their rights and provide adequate equipment
Mallorca airport facing “total standstill” as a protest is expected to bring services to a halt on Friday.
Furious staff have called for the major protest and intend to paralyse the airport for at least three hours on July 25th. The disruption could lead to cancellations, massive queues and delays on domestic and international flights. The union recommends that passengers go to the airport earlier and check the status of their flights with their respective airlines.
The workers are banded together under the UGT trade union, which is demonstrating against “suffocating” working conditions. Among their demands is the creation of a negotiation group including Spain’s airport authority, Aena, the government and employee representatives.
UGT has called for a rally at Palma airport on July 25 to denounce what it describes as a “situation of unsustainable precariousness” in the Balearic air sector. The protest will last for about three hours and aims to make visible the working conditions which they claim are deplorable.
The unions say companies contracted in to carry out various services are “abusing” their rights. They claim staff aren’t treated properly, holiday allocations are incorrect and there is no career progression.
The unions are also demanding the addition of qualified personnel in supervisory and management roles, as well as the provision of adequate vehicles and work tools, especially in light of the high temperatures.
They say staff need uniforms which “respect their dignity”, with clothing adapted to adverse weather conditions, such as raincoats for days of heavy rain.
UGT has directly accused companies such as Swissport, Groundforce, Menzies, Easyjet, Pasarelas, Eurowings, Jet2, Ryanair and South, among others, of labour practices which it considers “close to exploitation”.
The improvements being carried out at the airport also come under fire, with the unions saying construction work appears to be endless and is having a negative impact on the health and safety of staff.
The union is also demanding free parking for the workers and the opening of a new cafeteria for staff with affordable prices.
The UGT says it holds the airport authority AENA responsible for all the shortcomings and warns that unless it steps up talks to resolve the issues, the protests will continue.
The union has already found an ally in the Balearic government which last week demanded urgent action over the airport after admitting “the accumulation of incidents” is doing nothing for its tourism reputation.
Officials say delays, cancellations and overbooking at Palma airport in Mallorca are causing a growing volume of complaints and “generate widespread discomfort and project a very negative image of the islands.”
They have also complained about long waits at security controls and the continuing works at the airport, together with the “collapse in accesses and transit areas.”
The consumer affairs department of the Government of the Balearic Islands has told the Directorate General of Civil Aviation its concern about the situation that Palma airport is going through in the middle of the high season, as well as the accumulation of incidents in air traffic that directly affect residents and tourists.
“From Consumer Affairs, it is stressed that air traffic in the Balearic Islands is not only key for tourism but also an essential public service for the connectivity of citizens, especially in an island territory such as the Balearic Islands. However, delays, cancellations and overbooking cause a growing volume of complaints, generate widespread discomfort and project a very negative image of the islands,” said a spokesperson for the government.
“The Consumer Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health considers it essential that the competent aviation authorities are extremely vigilant and control during the high season and ensure compliance with European Regulation 261/2004, which protects the rights of passengers in the event of service interruptions.”
“Likewise, the General Directorate denounces that the execution of works at Palma airport in the middle of high season generates a context of general discomfort, collapse in accesses and transit areas, and long waits at security controls, with direct damage to both passengers and staff working in the facilities.”
“For all these reasons, Consumer Affairs calls on the central government to adopt measures to guarantee the proper functioning of air traffic in the Balearic Islands and protect the rights of passengers and the safety of users.”