Deal reached to avert Spain airport strike
Mar 16th, 2011, 05:34 AM
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Deal reached to avert Spain airport strike
This was just announced. The rank-and-file still have to vote on it, but it's good news. This was on the Huffington Post:
MADRID -- The state-owned company that runs Spain's airports reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday with unions that had called 22 days of strikes during peak tourism seasons to protest against plans to privatize half the firm.
The pact will be voted on by union rank-and-file next week and if passed will erase the threat of travel chaos over Easter and at busy times during the summer travel season.
Reached after 17 hours of negotiations, the agreement in principle would guarantee workers' jobs and current working conditions once the government proceeds with plans to privatize part of the company, called AENA.
This was a key demand of unions representing AENA's 13,000 employees. The privatization plan calls for management of Madrid and Barcelona airports to go completely into private hands.
The unions had called rolling strike days starting April 20, and including Easter Sunday, and then other days in May, June, July and August.
"It is a good agreement. With dialogue you can get things done," said Infrastructure Minister Jose Blanco, who is responsible for AENA.
"The tourism sector and people in general can rest assured they will be able to travel over Easter," said Transport Secretary of State Isaias Taboas.
The strike threat involved runway signalers, firefighters and other workers at debt-laden AENA. The government wants to sell up to 49 percent of it to cut a swollen public deficit and has gone about it through a decree that skirts parliamentary debate.
AENA's president Juan Lema had warned a strike would take a severe toll on Spain's key tourism sector as the country struggles to emerge from nearly two years of recession marked by a 20 percent jobless rate.
The threat of more airport chaos came just months after Spanish air traffic controllers angry over work schedules and other issues staged a wildcat strike over a busy long holiday weekend in December.
The government ended it abruptly by threatening them with jail terms and – under military law – placing soldiers in control towers to make sure controllers stayed on the job.
MADRID -- The state-owned company that runs Spain's airports reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday with unions that had called 22 days of strikes during peak tourism seasons to protest against plans to privatize half the firm.
The pact will be voted on by union rank-and-file next week and if passed will erase the threat of travel chaos over Easter and at busy times during the summer travel season.
Reached after 17 hours of negotiations, the agreement in principle would guarantee workers' jobs and current working conditions once the government proceeds with plans to privatize part of the company, called AENA.
This was a key demand of unions representing AENA's 13,000 employees. The privatization plan calls for management of Madrid and Barcelona airports to go completely into private hands.
The unions had called rolling strike days starting April 20, and including Easter Sunday, and then other days in May, June, July and August.
"It is a good agreement. With dialogue you can get things done," said Infrastructure Minister Jose Blanco, who is responsible for AENA.
"The tourism sector and people in general can rest assured they will be able to travel over Easter," said Transport Secretary of State Isaias Taboas.
The strike threat involved runway signalers, firefighters and other workers at debt-laden AENA. The government wants to sell up to 49 percent of it to cut a swollen public deficit and has gone about it through a decree that skirts parliamentary debate.
AENA's president Juan Lema had warned a strike would take a severe toll on Spain's key tourism sector as the country struggles to emerge from nearly two years of recession marked by a 20 percent jobless rate.
The threat of more airport chaos came just months after Spanish air traffic controllers angry over work schedules and other issues staged a wildcat strike over a busy long holiday weekend in December.
The government ended it abruptly by threatening them with jail terms and – under military law – placing soldiers in control towers to make sure controllers stayed on the job.
Mar 18th, 2011, 04:08 AM
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Apparently we should know by March 24 whether the rank-and-file has voted for or against the agreement to stave off the Spain airport strike. I just came across a website that monitors the status of possible and actual strikes affecting travelers all over the world: www.easytravelreport.com
Mar 24th, 2011, 06:14 PM
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Tonight from easytravelreport.com:
"24 March union vote is in. CCOO union and CGT union are A okay with the deal. You're good to go. We will continue to monitor the situation."
It looks like the unions voted for the agreement and that the airport strike threat in Spain is over.
"24 March union vote is in. CCOO union and CGT union are A okay with the deal. You're good to go. We will continue to monitor the situation."
It looks like the unions voted for the agreement and that the airport strike threat in Spain is over.
Mar 25th, 2011, 03:39 AM
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From Reuters today:
Spain's airport unions call off strike
4:24am EDT
MADRID, March 25 (Reuters) - Spanish airport workers have voted to call off 22 days of strike action, a spokesman from Spain's largest union CCOO said on Friday, averting disruption over peak holiday periods between April and August.
"A total of 70 percent of votes were in favour of calling off the strike, with 29.7 votes against and a couple of abstentions," the CCOO spokesman said.
Spanish airport operator AENA and unions reached a preliminary agreement to call off the action on March 16 which took on board workers' concerns over labour conditions and job security related to the planned privatisation of the operator.
Spain's airport unions call off strike
4:24am EDT
MADRID, March 25 (Reuters) - Spanish airport workers have voted to call off 22 days of strike action, a spokesman from Spain's largest union CCOO said on Friday, averting disruption over peak holiday periods between April and August.
"A total of 70 percent of votes were in favour of calling off the strike, with 29.7 votes against and a couple of abstentions," the CCOO spokesman said.
Spanish airport operator AENA and unions reached a preliminary agreement to call off the action on March 16 which took on board workers' concerns over labour conditions and job security related to the planned privatisation of the operator.
