Airports in the Balearic Islands are at risk of descending into chaos this weekend after it was revealed that handling workers plan to go on strike for three days, starting on Friday. The action in one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations coincides with both the UK summer holidays and a public holiday for Spaniards.
The strike is set to affect Palma Son Sant Joan Airport in Majorca and others, including Ibiza. Azul provides services to Ryanair, the largest operator in Palma. On Saturday and Sunday, Menzies handling workers will also strike, which will affect airlines including easyJet, Jet2, Lufthansa, and British Airways. The Azul strike will take place for three periods each day: 5am to 9am, noon to 3pm, and 9pm to midnight.
The UGT union has warned that strikes beyond this weekend will take place every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday until December 31 unless there is movement on what the union has denounced as “a profound disregard” for workers and their demands for improved working conditions, an end to coercion to work overtime and compliance with the industry agreement.
Workers with Menzies are also due to strike on August 23, 24, 30 and 31. Meanwhile, there is unrest among workers with Groundforce, the largest handling operator at Palma Airport.
Handling workers have said they will “paralyse” the airport. However, AENA, Spain’s major airport manager, and the hotels do not share that opinion.
As a result, the hotel sector in Majorca is bracing for delays. Issues such as bottlenecks in the flow of hotel arrivals are expected. The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation has said that while these situations are inconvenient, they are now almost normal in during the summer months.
On Friday (August 15), Spain will celebrate its public holiday marking the Feast of the Assumption, one of the most important Spanish holidays for Catholics and observed across the country. As it is a national bank holiday, tourists should expect most businesses, shops and official institutions to be closed for the day.
This latest bout of strikes comes just weeks after bus drivers in Majorca staged a walkout. Seven buses were reported damaged after tempers boiled over following some drivers’ decision to break the strike and cross picket lines. Stones were thrown at the buses, causing damage and forcing them to return to the Alcudia depot. Union members out demonstrating could be heard shouting “scabs” aimed at the strike breakers.
