Holiday HELL: Unions announce another 25 days of strikes at Spanish airports
HOLIDAYMAKERS could face 25 days of airport hell after Spanish unions announced workers will go on another strike - causing devastating delays on travel in and out the country for the rest of the year.
Barcelona airport strike: Spain faces more delays
Workers at Spanish airport operator Aena have agreed a new wave of strikes after a lack of progress during negotiations over pay and working conditions.
Although the strikes are set to last for a total of 25 days, they will be spread out over the coming months on weekends and national days.
Starting on September 15, the 24-hour strikes will take place until December - including Christmas holidays.
Other scheduled dates include 17, 22, 24 and 29 September, 1, 6, 11, 15, 27, 30 and 31 October, 3 and 5 November and 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 December.
Chaos at Barcelona airport after staff go on strike
Workers at Spanish airport operator Aena have called for a new wave of strik
It is expected the strikes will drastically hit Spain’s busy national bank holidays in October, November and December.
Unions believe Aena's 7,3000-person workforce has not benefited from company profits.
Workers claim that while the firm’s profit growth "hit 40 per cent” last year with € 1,164million, the number of temporary contracts in the company increased by 17 per cent and the firm has refused to install some 450-plus permanent jobs.
The latest wave of industrial action comes after months of chaos faced by holidaymakers travelling to and from Spain.
Barcelona’s El Prat airport was amongst the worst hit causing holidaymakers to suffer horrendous queues waiting in line for hours.
The civil guard were brought in to assist with security controls.
Yesterday Express.co.uk revealed passengers on the 7.30pm Alba Star flight on 13 August that was due to fly from Palma de Majorca airport to Palma via Malaga were left stuck at the airport for 18 hours.
Holidaymakers complained they were not only left at the airport without any assistance but were also told they were not allowed to leave the airport and no hotel rooms were available to put them up for the night.
Passengers were left stranded at Palma airport
Holidaymakers trapped in huge passport queue at Palma airport
Starting on September 15, the 24-hour strikes will take place until December - including Christmas holidays.
Passenger Barbara Casarini said: "They left us all night at the airport without assistance and no indication of our destiny.”
Earlier this month it was revealed by A4E that Palma airport was Europe’s most likely airport where visitors were most likely to get stuck in a queue at.
The airport was also rated Europe’s second busiest over the summer holidays, just behind Antalya in Turkey, according to research by Airport Spotting.
Passengers faced lengthy delays at many Spanish airport
The strikes are set to last for a total of 25 days
Social media users flying into Majorca last week took to Twitter to post photos of long queues, while Jet2, a budget carrier that flies thousands of holidaymakers into Palma, said it was aware of possible queues.
And along with airport chaos, visitors to the Catalan region have also experienced protests by anti-tourism demonstrators.
Protesters lined beaches and blocked streets with processions demanding tourists “go home”.
(Additional reporting by Maria Ortega)