Unions continue to manage the strike involving ground services scheduled to run at Iberia on January 5, 6, 7, and 8, amid the Three Kings holiday weekend. A mediation session at the Inter-Confederation Mediation and Arbitration Service, SIMA, concluded without an agreement.
Although CCOO and UGT had previously called for the strike, along with USO, only a single four-hour mediation meeting took place this Thursday with representatives from all the unions involved. No consensus emerged at SIMA, and Iberia expressed disappointment over the rejection of dialogue. The company reiterated its openness to talks but stressed a fundamental condition: the strikes must be canceled to avoid unnecessary harm to thousands of passengers returning during the Three Kings holiday.
The airline insisted that the transportation sector adopt an approach that guarantees work, salaries, and related compensation across life during any surrogacy process, while urging a constructive path forward.
UGT and CCOO announced on the previous Friday that they would resume the originally planned strike, now set for December 29 to 31. Negotiations with the company had stalled in the presence of the Ministry of Transport, yet no agreement emerged in that forum either, reigniting protests after Iberia lost its operating license at several of the country’s major airports. Madrid remained in competition, while others like Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Ibiza, and Bilbao faced service reductions or disruptions.
The situation involved ongoing efforts to replace Iberia workers at the airports where operations would pause, involving firms that provided ground handling services, including Globalia’s Groundforce, Aviapartners, and Menzies. The unions opposed this transition because it would loosen the Iberia umbrella, even though many workers were within the sector agreement. They demanded automatic handling for all IAG group companies, including British Airways, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and Level. Iberia refused, citing higher costs and concerns about losing ground to competitors by outsourcing handling services.
Following the decision by CCOO and UGT to keep mobilizing, on December 23 the USO expressed concerns about the company’s stance and suggested that either the strike be canceled or negotiations would be prevented by what it saw as an uncompromising position. The USO noted that Iberia had indicated it might pursue automatic handling and was exploring legal avenues to reverse Aena’s decision, a point later addressed in court proceedings. The union also indicated that it had not abandoned the option of pursuing Plan B, including self-management of the group or a joint venture, should the current options fail to yield results.
Strike at the Platform Management Service in Barajas
In addition to the Iberia disruptions, UGT announced a strike at the Platform Management Service of Barajas airport, to begin at midnight on December 31 and run through January 7, affecting 35 workers. This service plays a crucial role in airport operations, coordinating the movement of aircraft on the tarmac across a large area that covers about seventy percent of the airport’s taxiways.
The contention stems from Skyway taking over the service in 2022 under an offer markedly lower than the previous contract, with a reduction of about 15 percent and 30 percent below the initial bid. This pricing shift was accompanied by a deterioration in working conditions, a lack of succession, and the absence of a binding collective agreement, all of which is seen as essential to a service of public interest.
UGT argues that the Platform Management Service has faced steady declines in working conditions and service quality since 2011, a period marked by inflation that has eroded purchasing power and affected the economic framework surrounding Skyway’s management. The union contends that the absence of a formal succession leaves workers exposed to market-driven shifts in corporate interests and bidding dynamics, rather than stable, worker-protective arrangements.
Ultimately, the unions state that the lack of a formal succession necessitates a legal or negotiated solution to secure fair terms for the workforce, noting that the ongoing bidding environment leaves workers vulnerable to corporate strategies rather than long-term labor protections. The situation highlights the broader tension between cost-cutting measures and the requirement to maintain reliable, safe, and consistent airport operations for the traveling public.