Groundforce workers will strike at 12 major Spanish airports over Easter, with thousands of Irish holidaymakers facing potential delays and cancellations during the busy travel period
Airports across some popular tourist hotspots are preparing for industrial action by ground handling staff, with unions confirming walkouts both over the Easter period and into next month.
Irish holidaymakers travelling to and from Spain this Easter face some of the most extensive industrial action at airports the country has seen in years – with as many as 12 major airports bracing for days of strikes by ground handlers and additional staff.
Spain’s three largest unions have confirmed final arrangements for thousands of Groundforce employees, which manages much of the logistics for airports and numerous airlines, to down tools from Monday, March30. The unions have selected the first genuinely busy weekend of the year – as millions journey for the Easter break – to inflict maximum disruption on their Groundforce parent company Air Europa, as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and job security. The unions have also indicated they’re willing to pursue strike action throughout the summer if their demands aren’t satisfied.
The strikes by ground handling personnel will commence early on Monday, 30th March and will disrupt all operations at: Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Alicante, Valencia, Málaga, Bilbao, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. There are additional 24-hour actions involving baggage handlers on 28th March (today) and 29th March, as well as on 2nd April and 6th April.
Irish holidaymakers heading to Spain over the coming weeks could face major travel disruption as widespread strike action is set to begin within days(Image: Getty Images)
As many as 3,000 ramp, baggage and cargo agents will cease work in three daily periods – early morning 5am-7am, 11am to 5pm, 10pm to midnight – in actions designed to maintain traffic flow through airports, but to reduce it to a crawl. Travellers at these airports should anticipate substantial delays or cancellations – and naturally, any hold-ups will create ripple effects across airports in Ireland and throughout Europe.
Groundforce might not manage all or even most luggage at the 12 principal airports – however, ground handling operations are so precisely calibrated in contemporary airports that any disruption in one section will rapidly impact others.
Baggage handlers from alternative companies and personnel from different departments may also down tools in solidarity as the unions attempt to increase pressure, reports Cork Beo.
Irish travellers can adopt certain measures to reduce the risk of delays and disruption – if you’re able to manage with only hand luggage, this might enable you to avoid the problems at the baggage carousels in Spain’s major airports.
Irish passengers should also keep a very close eye on advice from their airlines and the latest information on arrivals and departures from Cork, Shannon and Dublin Airports.
British holidaymakers face considerably worse prospects – these industrial actions overlap with the implementation of the new Entry Exit System (EES) for non-EU nationals throughout Spain’s international airports.
The pairing of walkouts by airport personnel and the difficulties surrounding launching an entirely new visa, passport and border control framework could result in British tourists experiencing a dreadful ordeal attempting to enter and leave Spain this Easter.
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