British holidaymakers flying in or out of Majorca this Friday are being urged to brace for travel disruption as furious ground staff threaten to ‘paralyse’ Palma’s airport during the busy summer getaway.
The protest, scheduled for July 25 between 8am and 12pm, coincides with the start of a Bank Holiday weekend in Spain and could spark chaos for thousands of passengers.
Union leaders say they are fed up with poor working conditions and claim they are being ‘suffocated’ by a crisis gripping the aviation sector in the Balearic Islands.
In a fiery statement, workers warned that unless Spanish airport authority Aena steps in immediately, they will ‘raise the tone of the protest’ with industrial action designed to bring Son Sant Joan airport to a ‘standstill’.
Their key demand is the creation of a joint task force made up of Aena, the regional government and union representatives to find solutions to what they describe as years of abuse and neglect.
The UGT union has accused airport service firms of breaching labour rights and creating ‘inhumane’ shifts that make work-life balance impossible.
They say many staff are forced to accept ‘basic contracts of less than 30 hours’ while being expected to do ‘countless hours of overtime without any control.’
Their demands include the proper scheduling of holidays, clearer pathways for professional development, and the employment of qualified staff for supervisory and driving duties so others are not pushed to breaking point.
The union has also asked for improved working equipment to protect staff from the scorching heat, new uniforms, and raincoats for when there’s a downpour.
Additionally, they want free parking for employees and a canteen with affordable food.
UGT has accused Swissport, Groundforce, Menzies, easyJet, Pasarelas, Eurowings, PMR’s, Jet2, Ryanair and South of ‘exploitation.’
Bosses have also been condemned over ‘endless and painful’ construction work at the airport, which union officials say is ‘damaging’ workers’ health and putting their safety at risk.
They have warned that companies are refusing to engage with their concerns and are ‘undermining’ the union’s ability to represent staff.
It comes as the EU has warned of a summer of travel disruptions due to strikes at major airports. In Italy, air traffic controllers are set to strike on July 26 from 1pm to 5pm local time.
