23 February 2023 , 16:02
1107
0
Brits heading for Spain's busiest airports face strike action between now and Easter.
Unionised Swissport workers have called for a series of 24-hour walkouts after negotiations ongoing since March of 2022 failed.
The strike action will take place every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, starting next Monday, February 27, and continuing until next April 13.
The unions says they are prepared to walk out on dozens of occasions having been demanding better working conditions for more than eight years without success.
"This is the reality faced by the workers of Swissport Handling and for which it has been decided to say ENOUGH," said a union spokesman.
Striking teacher forced to take a second job to pay bills ahead of mass walkout
Madrid's Barajas Airport will be hit (Getty Images)"We will not allow workers to have to give up the improvements they have been waiting for for years."
Swissport Handling provides services in Spain at the airports of Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Reus, Alicante, Valencia, Murcia, Málaga, Almería, Salamanca, Valladolid, Burgos, Logroño, Zaragoza, Huesca, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife Sur .
It provides services to passengers and ramp assistance, except at the airports of Gran Canaria and Tenerife Sur, where it assists executive aviation companies.
In Madrid and Malaga Swissport operates air cargo handling services,
Among its clients are the airlines Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air France, Brussels Airlines, Czech Airlines, Emirates, Finnair, Iberia Express, Icelandair, Iran Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines and Vueling.
By Spanish law, unions have to provide a minimum service set by the government so it remains to be seen what impact the walkouts will have on flights, and for passengers arriving and departing from the airports involved.
Spanish airport workers are far from being alone when it comes to calling industrial action in March.
In the ongoing battle between unions and the government over pension reforms, industrial action has been planned for March in France.
French workers will work out once again (AFP via Getty Images)France’s public transport network will be targeted by eight unions coordinating action, French national title Le Monde reports.
Workers are poised to deliver a "black day" on 7 March that will "bring France to a standstill", it has been reported.
Six teachers open up on 'difficult' strike decision - and why they are doing it
They are opposing a planned lifting of the state pension age from 62 to 64.
Polling shows around 70 percent of the public reject Macron's pension reform plans. A petition opposing the reforms has gathered more than one million signatures.
A spokesperson for Swissport said: "We regret to confirm that the industrial action is scheduled to begin at airports across Spain on 27th February 2023.
"A comprehensive contingency plan is in place to limit disruptions to our airline customers and passengers traveling via Spanish airports.
"At Swissport, we are convinced that agreements must be found at the negotiating table.
"We remain fully committed to reaching an agreement with union representatives and our staff, that will be acceptable to our colleagues while also preserving the stability and health of the company and offering attractive jobs in the Spanish aviation sector."