Some 8,000 ground staff workers at Iberia Airport Services have been called by Spanish unions UGT and CCOO to take part in strikes over the second part of the Christmas period.
The unions have broken off dialogue with the airline and are calling for strikes from 5 to 8 January. The announced strike at Iberia will take place at 29 airports across Spain.
The reason for the strike is that Iberia has lost the tender issued by Aena. Ground staff fear that under new employers, working conditions will deteriorate.
According to the unions, after a meeting at Iberia’s headquarters between the company’s management, the unions themselves and representatives of the Ministry of Transport, no agreement was reached and therefore they are announcing this measure, which had been suspended on Wednesday.
Strike days and flights affected
Iberia’s strike will take place on 5, 6 and 8 January. This may affect the various flights scheduled by the airline with departures or arrivals in Spain.
The action affects the 29 national airports served by Iberia Airport Services. These include the busiest airports, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Palma, Alicante, Valencia, Málaga, Seville, Bilbao and Tenerife.
Travellers potentially affected by Iberia’s planned ground staff strike may be entitled to compensation of up to €600. Alternatively, a ticket refund and expenses they incurred if their flight is cancelled could be paid.
Iberia’s reply
Iberia argues that a strike of the kind now called by the unions for early January, the end of the Christmas holidays, causes irreparable damage to the right to holiday and reunite families and friends. ‘This is being done in this case in an irresponsible and senseless way,’ denounces Iberia, which does not see any of the rights it believes are defended by a strike ‘affected or threatened’.
