The CCOO union, representing workers from the Spanish airport operator, Aena, has called more than 10,000 workers at Spanish airports to strike after failing to recover the productivity pay, which stopped being delivered due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
The union plans to register a call for strikes next week for the upcoming Christmas holidays, specifically, it will summon the staff on December 22, 23, 30 and 31, and on January 6 and 8, 2023. In addition, it warns that, if it is not resolved soon, the strike threat will continue during the first quarter next year, including Easter.
The union points out that “air traffic has recovered levels from 2019 (record year) and in some airports it has exceeded them. “The distribution of dividends to private shareholders is also authorised and the workers of the Aena group demand, therefore, the recovery of what corresponds to us”.
The latest meeting between the CCOO, which also included the UGT and USCO unions, with Aena ended without an agreement and without a specific date to resume negotiations. According to union sources, the airport manager has given them a proposal that “still does not address the key element of the negotiations”, which are the concessions.
“We will assess the proposal and we hope that Aena will do the same with our demands”, assured the CCOO spokesman, José Manuel Lorenzo, who hopes to obtain an “official” response to the unions’ requests, since in the current conditions of the new model “jobs are not guaranteed”. Lorenzo insists that the Government proposes the privatisation of 100% of the management of the airports and a model of concessions according to which it is “impossible” to guarantee jobs.
It should be noted that travel chaos is already expected over the Christmas period as Border Force staff in the UK have also announced strike action between 23 and 26 December, and 28 to 31 December, impacting Birmingham, Cardiff, London Gatwick and Heathrow, Glasgow and Manchester airports.
