Easter Airport Strike

[lollipop]

Well they did it when the air traffic controllers went on strike so I don't think they will hesitate especially with so much at stake for the economy. It is off course not just Mallorca but right across spain.

 

[pollensa]

My son has now changed his flights, so the strikes are bound to be cancelled now!

 

[andrew711]

You may be right, Zelda. A meeting today to study AENA's proposals seems very positive. A pre-agreement may even be made today. Though this might not rule out an immediate calling off of the strikes, it looks as though all parties are on the point of seeing sense. Maybe.

 

[SIMONM]

Spanish airport operator AENA and unions reached a preliminary agreement to call off 22 days of strike action between April and August, AENA said on Wednesday, averting disruption during peak holiday season.

The agreement takes on board unions' concerns over labour conditions and job security for the state airport operator's nearly 13,000 staff in the face of a planned government privatisation, union representatives told national radio.

"The agreement was reached after nearly 20 hours of talks," AENA said in a press release, noting the accord still had to be voted on by workers.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the agreement meant airports would work at normal capacity during the Easter and summer holiday periods.

Around 77 percent of tourists arrive in Spain via air travel, bringing more than 190 million passengers through Spanish airports every year, he said.

However, one analyst expressed caution on the provisional agreement.

"We welcome this announcement, albeit we stress that it is a pre-agreement that needs to be confirmed by workers in a poll," said Eduardo Coelho, analyst at broker BPI.

Spain said in December it wanted to partially privatise the state airport operator, which it says could be worth up to 30 billion euros, alongside its state lottery as part of plans to reduce the national debt.

 

[lovethepinewalk]

Morning All,

Would anyone on the forum know (please see the previous post of this from SIMONM) if the workforce/unions have voted on this proposal yet.... Or, if they haven't, does anyone know the date when they are going to vote?.....

All the very best....

 

[andrew711]

They are voting tomorrow (Thursday).

 

[lovethepinewalk]

Thank you for that update Andrew....

Let's hope that they vote positively, & put everyone's mind at rest ahead of all's summer holidays...

 

[Rosie34]

Don't know if they've got 'inside info' but I've just got an email from Do You Spain announcing that all the strikes had been called off

 

[SIMONM]

AENA – Air control strikes in Spain for 2011 ... that the syndicates agree for the demands of the air traffic controllers and no strike happens

Thank goodness for that! lol

 

[andrew711]

AENA employees at Balearics airports have voted overwhelmingly to accept the agreement struck last week, so the strike threat is off.

 

[lovethepinewalk]

Hiya SIMONM & Andrew 711.....

Thanks for all your info on this...... I'm sure you have put a lot of peoples worries to rest re their respective booked flights...

I bit tough on the forum members who had rebooked their flights, & all the associated extra costs........

At the end of the day, I don't think the Spanish Government could had allowed this strike to go ahead, they are realistic enough to have known this was not a 'nail in the coffin' for Spanish tourism'...... More like a massive big spear.......

Happy holidays all......

 

[Belladonna]

A great relief for summer bookings thats for sure.
As an Easter traveller, Im quite happy to have got an extra days holiday at the start, and was half hoping to get stuck out there at the end to enjoy The Wedding celebrations with expats! Looks like we will be back home to enjoy it here though with tea and cucumber sandwiches!!