Airport Strikes called off after last-minute deal with Unions
Ground handling firm Menzies Aviation has called off planned strike action at several airports in the Canary Islands after reaching an agreement with the UGT union through mediation at with SIMA.
However, industrial unrest in the sector is far from over, as negotiations over a temporary redundancy plan at Menzies in Gran Canaria remain unresolved.
The deal follows weeks of tension across the aviation sector and includes commitments to improve both working and pay conditions for transferred staff, one of the main sources of the dispute.
Strike Action Suspended
The agreement allows planned walkouts all airports this week, where the company operates to be suspended, after Menzies accepted several of the union’s key demands.
These include a review of personal pay guarantees, covering both fixed and variable “ad personam” supplements.
The company has also agreed to address issues related to guaranteed annual working hours.
Another major point in the agreement is the improvement of shift management and excessive working hours, which had led to widespread complaints from staff.
Menzies has committed to reviewing and correcting these issues to prevent further errors in workforce planning.
In addition, a separate round of negotiations on employment conditions is set to begin in April.
Sector Tensions Continue
Despite the breakthrough, wider labour tensions remain across airport operations. Ongoing industrial action by workers at Groundforce continues to put pressure on the handling sector.
UGT has welcomed the agreement but warned it will closely monitor its implementation.
Meanwhile, the lack of progress in talks over redundancies in Gran Canaria and disputes at other companies underline that labour unrest at Spain’s airports is still ongoing.
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