THOUSANDS OF tourists starting their holiday in Spain in the middle of this month will face delays or cancellations if air traffic controllers go ahead with their threatened strike.
In a ballot late on Tuesday over 98 per cent of controllers from all Spain’s airports voted to strike after August 16th, although the exact dates will not be decided until later this week.
Traffic controllers in Spain have long enjoyed what development and transport minister José Blanco has described as “a privileged position”. He warned that he would consider calling in the military to keep planes flying if they go ahead with their action, but said he was prepared to meet their representatives in an effort to avert the strike.
Last month Mr Blanco introduced a decree law, approved by the Cabinet, to change controllers’ employment contracts and reduce their basic salary from €375,000 a year to €200,000, increase working hours from 1,200 to 1,750 a year – including generous breaks and rest periods during shifts – and lower overtime hours from 600 hours to 80 hours a year.
AENA, the Spanish airports association, which estimates that around 12 million passengers will pass through their airports during August, applauded Mr Blanco’s decree and said the controllers were overpaid and greedy.
When Mr Blanco announced the terms of his decree, the controllers protested by staging a “hidden strike”, with dozens calling in sick with stress and other ailments. On one weekend at the beginning of July over half of Barcelona’s control tower workers and almost 50 per cent in Madrid failed to report for duty.
Airlines, hoteliers and tourism officials have all denounced the threatened strike which would, they say, have serious consequences for the tourist industry at a time when figures were beginning to pick up after several years of losses.
Ramon Estalleta, head of the Spanish hoteliers’ association, said: “Between 25 and 30 per cent of visitors wait until the last minute to book their flights and accommodation, and now many of them are demanding guarantees that their holidays will not be disrupted by industrial action before making any reservations. It could be disastrous for us.”
Daniel Zamit, spokesman for the controllers, said yesterday that their decision to strike was “necessary and timely” and he blamed the minister for the current situation.
“We do not want to cause problems for travellers. That is why we have delayed the strike until after the August 15th long weekend bank holiday.
Nor do we want to harm the Spanish economy. We are ready to meet the minister, but the ball is now in his court,” he said.