Groundforce Staff Launch Indefinite Strike Across Spanish Airports During Easter Peak

An indefinite strike by ground handling staff at Groundforce, a company linked to Air Europa, has commenced in Spain. The protest began on 30 March—at the height of the Easter season, one of the busiest periods for air travel.

The action involves 5,578 workers across 12 airports nationwide, including Barcelona-El Prat, Madrid-Barajas, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Alicante, Valencia, Seville, and Málaga.

The strike is supported by the CCOO, UGT, and USO trade unions. The primary cause is a decline in employees' real income and what they describe as an alleged breach of wage commitments stipulated in the collective agreement. Unions have condemned the "unilateral" interpretation of several clauses used to avoid pay rises. The CCOO union emphasised that its "priority remains negotiations" but warned it would not accept decisions that "render collective agreements meaningless" or shift the costs of inflation onto workers.

If the parties fail to reach an agreement, disruptions could affect up to 1.3 million passengers. In the absence of a deal, protests will continue on 1 and 3 April. Strikes are scheduled between 05:00 and 07:00, 11:00 and 17:00, and 22:00 until midnight. This may lead to flight delays, baggage handling issues, and problems with aircraft servicing.