The conflict over handling (ground assistance service) at airports has become so entrenched that it has required mediation from the Government. This is an attempt to get Iberia and the unions to reach an agreement that will avoid the strike at the airline in the middle of the Christmas campaign that the workers have threatened with.
For the moment, the intermediation of the Ministry of Transport has served for UGT and CC.OO. postpone the call for strikes. The first day of protests in Iberia was scheduled for December 29, but the unions have not yet made the formal request for strike authorization, which requires a period of ten days. Transport and the unions met this Thursday to try to resolve the situation after days of "unsuccessful" talks between workers' representatives and Iberia.
Iberia lost numerous handling licenses in the last Aena contest and the important business associated with them, including those of El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga and five other large airports (only Barajas retains among those with the highest passenger traffic). This made him question the award process by bringing the tender before the Central Administrative Court of Contractual Resources (TACR), which rejected the appeal.
The result of the contest has caused great discomfort and concern among the 7,000 Iberia Airport Services workers, who fear a deterioration in working conditions despite the fact that the law dictates that subrogation must respect them. Groundfource, Aviapartner, Menzies and Swissport are the main successful bidders.
The workers have asked Iberia to opt for self-handling of IAG airlines (in addition to Iberia itself, Vueling, British Airways, Level and Air Lingus). But it rejects it, citing lack of profitability. According to UGT and CC.OO., Iberia proposed the creation of a company led by a winning bidder of the tenders, with a majority stake of 80%, and with a minority company that belonged to the IAG group, which would be Yellow Handling. They have described the proposal as an “invention” and “illegal.”
"For CCOO and UGT this would mean a segregation of the business which would in turn mean non-compliance with the agreements signed in the latest agreements (Non-Business Segregation Clause and Preferred Supplier Guarantee within the IAG Group)", they insist. Apart from autohandling, they have proposed the negotiation of an ERE that would allow the company to "reduce business costs to face the future with better prospects."
