British tourists flying from Majorca this week have been issued an a travel warning as there is a possibility of industrial action at Palma’s Son Sant Joan airport. Unions have reportedly threatened to bring the terminal to “a standstill” as the strikes are likely to take place on Friday (July 25).
Unions “want to bring the airport to a standstill between 8am and 12pm in protest at the ‘precarious situation suffocating’ the Balearic Islands’ aviation sector,” according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. The unions have warned that if Spain’s airport authority Aena does not meet their demands, then they will “raise the tone or the protest” and take action aimed at “paralysing the airport”.
The planned walkout is centred around working conditions, and the UGT union has complained that companies operating at the airport “do not respect labour rights”, reports the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
The strike is set to begin just as Spain enters a Bank Holiday weekend and coincides with the end of the first week of school holidays for many British families – potentially impacting those returning home from a vacation in Majorca.
The union is urging Aena, the regional authorities, and representatives of the workforce to engage in joint talks aimed at finding mutually agreed and lasting resolutions to the “abuses” experienced by employees.
Key concerns raised include what have been described as “inhumane” shift patterns, the widespread use of contracts offering fewer than 30 hours alongside excessive overtime demands, as well as issues surrounding career development and pre-agreed vacation entitlements.
Additional frustration stems from disruptive construction work currently taking place at the airport.
Last month, part of the roof at Palma’s airport collapsed, prompting the evacuation of passengers to a different terminal area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
A similar incident occurred earlier this year, when another section of roof panel fell in January.