The dispute over who will manage ground handling for Iberia and its associated carriers remains unresolved as negotiations persist. After Iberia lost the most recent tender, eight of Spain’s leading airports and airlines are poised to confirm which operator will service aircraft on arrival and departure. This situation has heightened tensions among unions and the employer group as the process moves toward a decision that could affect thousands of ground staff across the network.
UGT sources confirmed to EFE that talks will resume on Wednesday, underscoring that both sides view the issue as urgent. Negotiations began on the ninth of the month and followed a four-day strike during the Epiphany weekend, with unions rallying against the transfer of ground handling personnel to the companies that win the airport contracts. The key concern remains how staff will be allocated once the winners are announced and whether secondments will continue at each site. (EFE)
Time is of the essence as Iberia and Aena must specify, by this Wednesday at the latest, the transport operator chosen for each airport. Questions remain about whether the group will be forced to auto-commit for all airports or if individual selections will be allowed. IAG, which owns Iberia as well as British Airways, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and Level, is central to these discussions. (EFE)
The root of the protests lies in Iberia losing ground handling contracts at eight major airports, excluding Madrid, which in principle requires staff to be transferred to the winning bidders under the competitive process organized by Aena. The results were announced last September, setting in motion the current debate over governance and staffing. (EFE)
Iberia proposed early this week the creation of a new company in which 100 percent of the capital would be held by the IAG group to oversee ground handling for all Iberia and partner aircraft. The plan envisions an automatic transaction framework that could operate even if the legacy privileges are reduced. The new entity would absorb roughly 8,000 Iberia Airport Services employees. Iberia has proposed an early retirement package for 1,727 workers and a voluntary severance program for staff aged 56, while suggesting that the overall workforce would not shrink because new hires would balance departures. The unions question whether this approach preserves a stable workforce across the eight affected locations and whether it aligns with broader labor goals. (EFE)
UGT clarified that unions want Iberia’s proposal to apply only to the eight airports where licenses were lost, but the company argues it should talk about the entire airport network. CCOO echoed the same position, stressing the importance of a unified plan for the group rather than piecemeal deals at individual airports. (EFE)
Iberia initially resisted implementing auto-handling, arguing that the model was not profitable in a low-margin business. The airline contends that contracting with the competition winners at each airport would yield greater efficiency and financial viability. (EFE)
The latest proposal would keep most staff within the Iberia ecosystem, with many assigned to the new company for self-managed operations while potentially attracting new customers in Iberia’s passenger services sector. In contrast, ramp services such as baggage handling, which Aena liberalized in September, face a different competitive landscape. (EFE)