Strikes set to hit Spain in peak season

Spanish airport workers are threatening strike action from Easter until August.

Unions have called 22 days of strikes during the busy holiday season to protest against plans by the Spanish government to partially privatise state airport operator AENA.

In the first round of privatisation, the government plans to sell off selected traffic control towers. In the next stage, it is looking to offload Madrid and Barcelona airports by the middle of 2012.

In a statement, Ryanair called on the EU Commission to take urgent action to ensure that strikes will not cause cancellations and delays to passengers this Easter.

It said strike notice by AENA workers are designed to cause widespread disruption during the peak Easter period.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “Europe’s airlines and passengers suffered at the hands of ATC providers throughout 2010 and now, ahead of yet another Spanish strike, Ryanair is calling on the EU to take action to prevent further strike action. Ryanair will not allow its passengers to be inconvenienced further by the selfish strike action by AENA workers.

“Action must be taken at EU level to ensure that the ‘right to strike’ is removed from essential airport services and competition must be introduced across Europe’s ATC providers to ensure that a strike in one country is not be allowed to disrupt millions of passengers’ travel plans.”

By Bev Fearis