More misery for air passengers as the three main unions representing ground staff threaten to cause strike chaos during the Easter Break, the summer and “other significant dates” on the calendar in protest at Central Government privatization plans.
The UGT, CC OO and USO announced industrial action, which will affect all Spanish airports, the day after central Government pledged to go ahead with plans to privatize 49% of the public company, AENA, which manages the nation’s airports and has incurred debts of 12,000 million euros.
The Government is looking for private investors for 49% of the “social capital” of AENA with an estimated value of 8,906 million euros. The State will keep a controlling 51% of the shares. In practice the company will be split in two: the State keeping the navigation part but privatizing the airport installations.
The Unions, which represent 12,000 workers at the airports, have organized a public demonstration against the privatization plans today in Madrid. If the Government does not “rectify its plans” the Unions are threatening disruption over Easter and other significant calendar dates “in defence of workers’ jobs.”
