UGT and CCOO unions announced a four-day strike this Friday in the Iberia ground handling business, set for January 5-8. They describe the action as unfair, arguing that Iberia had made an ambitious bid that did not meet their expectations.
Earlier in the week, facilities suspended a previously announced strike but extended talks through December 29-31. Negotiations continued with the company and the Ministry of Transport present, yet no agreement emerged in that forum, so the unions announced a resumption of protests from January 5-8. This sequence followed a pause in industrial action and a renewed push for an arrangement acceptable to the workers and their representatives.
The protests come after Iberia lost ground at the country’s eight major airports: Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Ibiza and Bilbao. The disruptions have affected service at these hubs, with Aena noting the impact in September. These developments reflect tensions in a sector undergoing rapid change in handling arrangements and workforce management.
Replacement workers are being sourced at each airport from firms that have won ground-handling tenders, including Globalia Groundforce, Aviapartner, and Menzies. The unions oppose this succession because it could blur Iberia’s umbrella under the IAG group, which also includes British Airways, Vueling, Aer Lingus and Level. They insist that any changes must fall within Iberia’s own sector agreement rather than a new arrangement outside the Iberia framework.
Iberia proposed a hybrid model controlled by an IAG Group company. In a note, the carrier explained that it is even exploring the possibility of this vehicle becoming fully owned by the group at airports where it makes sense, with the goal of handling ground services for all IAG airlines at the eight affected airports.
The unions are clear: they will not accept a joint venture unless the current Iberia agreement is fully implemented and a new company not belonging to Iberia would not take over. They demand safeguards to cover workers’ expenses and call for a 100% Iberia-owned entity to manage the automatic administration for the IAG group, ensuring a connection to the existing labor framework.
The unions are seeking a sustainability plan for Iberia to maintain operations, as well as concrete solutions for the eight affected airports that ensure workers remain under the Iberia agreement. They also require an agreed workforce adaptation plan (ERE) if there is excess staff, avoiding disruption to employment terms beyond what is already agreed.
From the union perspective, Iberia’s preference for automatic use of external contractors would incur higher costs than relying on contracting with third parties, potentially weakening the airline’s competitive position in an already challenging market. The objective appears to be expanding service reach to more airline clients, while Iberia emphasizes that it has not typically provided in-house services at every airport where it operates and has historically preferred third-party partnerships.
Additionally, offering ground-handling services to the entire IAG portfolio would require employees to continue under higher wage scales. Those at lower salary tiers might be reassigned to the winning competitor companies, which could create a competitive edge against Iberia in future tenders. Iberia stresses that all ground-handling jobs at the eight airports would be safeguarded through succession, aiming to preserve agreed working conditions and avoid direct job eliminations.
Iberia expressed regret that the unions have halted dialogue with the company and continued to call for what they describe as unfair strikes. The unions have asserted that the only viable solution involves allowing the tender-winning firms to assume control of ground-handling operations. They claim there is no other acceptable path forward. A memo from union centers notes that a representative from the Ministry of Transport proposed alternative channels to restart negotiations and to reach an agreement on the handling duties for affected airport staff.
Iberia’s airport services subsidiary employs around 8,000 people, with approximately 4,300 potentially affected by the planned succession process and a sizable number, roughly 1,900, concentrated at Barcelona airport. The company reiterates its commitment to maintaining jobs and working conditions for staff affected by the shift in operating arrangements, while pursuing a framework that protects efficiency and service continuity across the involved hubs.
As the dispute continues, observers highlight the broader implications for the Spanish aviation sector, where unions argue for strong labor protections and a clear pathway to integration within the Iberia and IAG ecosystem, while management emphasizes the need for flexibility and cost discipline to remain competitive in an increasingly global market. The situation remains a focal point for discussions about labor relations, airport operations, and strategic partnerships in air travel across Europe and beyond. [citation attribution: ministry of transport briefing, unions’ statements, and Iberia press materials].