How could airport strikes affect you during the August long weekend?
Ryanair's handling strike begins on Friday, and Menzies, which provides services to a dozen airlines, will join on Saturday.
BarcelonaEl Prat Airport is preparing for a busy long weekend. with 4,200 scheduled flights and strikes in the ground services of some airlines. The first is that of the employees of Azul, the subsidiary of handling (baggage and cargo services) of Ryanair, which begins this Friday, August 15th. In addition, on Saturday and Sunday, the staff of another company, Menzies, which provides the same services to Emirates, British Airways, American Airlines, EasyJet, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian, and Wizz Air, will join the strike. Vueling, the main operator at El Prat, has its own company within the IAG group and is not affected by these labor disputes, which, in any case, could disrupt the operations of many Spanish airports. The strikes will put Barcelona to the test, which is precisely In July, it broke the historical record for passengers in a month, with 5.5 millionUnion sources estimate that the strikes could affect 40% of scheduled flights at this facility.
Who is calling the strike, in which companies, and on what days?
The strike is organized by the UGT (United Nations Workers' Union). This Friday, August 15th, starting at 5:00 a.m., the Azul Handling staff strike will affect Ryanair, the airline that operates approximately 15 of every 100 flights at Terminal 2 in Barcelona. The strikes are expected to continue indefinitely from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and from 9:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. The strike will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout the year. This strike will affect the airports of Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Alicante, Almeria, Oviedo, Fuerteventura, Girona, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Menorca, Murcia, Palma, Reus, Santander, Santiago, Seville, Tenerife North and South, Valencia, Vigo, Vitoria, and Zaragoza. Minimum service will be 100% on flights dedicated to emergency work.
Starting Saturday, employees of another ground handling concessionaire, Menzies, which employs more than 600 people, will join the protest. The 24-hour strike is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, the 16th and 17th, but also for the following weekends in August—the 23rd and 24th, and the 30th and 31st—dates with high levels of airport activity for the holidays. This conflict affects the airports of Barcelona, Palma, Málaga, Alicante-Elche, and Tenerife South.
Are there minimum services?
Yes. In the case of Ryanair (Azul), essential services will be between 76% and 87% on international flights to or from the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands in August. In September, it will be between 69% and 86%, and in October, 59% to 83%. On domestic flights with a land alternative of five or more hours, it will be between 54% and 63%. And on those where the land alternative is less than five hours, it will be between 27% and 40%.
Regarding the Menzies strikes, minimum services on domestic routes to or from non-mainland territories will vary from 66% to 81%. Meanwhile, on routes connecting Spanish cities, where the alternative means of transport involves a journey of more than five hours, the minimum service will fluctuate between 54% and 61%. If the strike is less than five hours, the minimum service will be 36%.
The air sector union branch of FeSMC-UGT denounced this Thursday that it "outright rejects" the minimum service mandated by the Ministry of Transport for the strike called at Azul Handling. It considers them "disproportionate and abusive," as well as "a direct attack on the right to strike, recognized in Article 28.2 of the Constitution." According to the union, the established percentages "virtually neutralize the impact" of the strikes. On island routes (Tenerife and Gran Canaria), more than 80% of flights will continue to operate. On international routes and flights lasting more than five hours, around 60% of routes are protected; while on short mainland routes, between 30% and 40% are guaranteed.
What rights do affected passengers have?
The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) reminds that flight cancellation entails a refund of the ticket and compensation of up to €600 per passenger, which must be paid within a period of no more than seven days.
For flights up to 1,500 kilometers, the compensation is €250 (€125 if they offer travel to the destination with a delay of no more than 2 hours). If the flight is between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers (or within the EU of more than 1,500 km), the compensation will be €400 (€200 if they offer travel to the destination with a delay of no more than 3 hours). And if the flight is 3,500 kilometers or more, the compensation will be €600 (€300 if they offer travel to the destination with a delay of no more than 4 hours). The airline is exempt from compensation if it can prove that it informed the passenger of the cancellation at least two weeks in advance.
In addition, this claim may also be accompanied by a request for additional compensation for the damages caused. If the delay is more than two hours, the airline must offer the passenger sufficient food and drinks, two phone calls or email access, and, if applicable, accommodation and transportation from the airport. If the airline offers alternative transportation and the passenger accepts it, "they will be forgoing reimbursement and possible compensation," the OCU reminds.
The consumer rights organization has urged Ryanair to pay the corresponding amounts and not force those affected to go to court, as happened in 2018. At that time, the OCU filed a class action lawsuit against the airline and ultimately won.
What are the strikers demanding?
In the case of Ryanair, the dispute is over schedules. UGT accuses the company of routinely demanding overtime and extending part-time employees' shifts without advance notice or respecting legal limits. The union asserts that when workers refuse, the airline sanctions them.
In the Menzies case, where the parties' positions are closer, the protest is related to the breach of subrogation agreements and the non-payment of four months' salary in addition to the payroll. UGT asserts that the company acknowledges the debt, but neither details nor quantifies it.
