UGT and CCOO unions report the company’s automatic use policy in ground handling, a service the firm provides itself at airports where Aena did not win the tender.
Union sources confirmed on Wednesday that strikes are scheduled for December 29, 30 and 31 and January 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The dates align with year-end activities and Epiphany, adding pressure to negotiations during a sensitive period.
Iberia expressed a strong disappointment over what it called an irresponsible strike call, stating that talks were ongoing to reach a workable solution for handling processes.
In separate statements, UGT and CCOO said that after discussions with Iberia and IAG, the holding group that includes Iberia, British Airways, Vueling, Aer Lingus and Level, the plan for an automatic service across all group airlines at tied airports remains unresolved. The unions indicate the group has not agreed to an automatic model at airports where it does not hold a license.
Iberia emphasized that workers will not lose their rights. In September, Aena announced the tender results, which favored outsourcing ground handling at major airports to third parties rather than to Iberia at several key hubs, though Madrid was excluded from this move. The airports affected include Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Ibiza and Bilbao, with Madrid remaining protected for the time being.
According to Iberia, the company has taken legal steps to challenge the competition and has filed a parallel lawsuit. The airline said it is working hard to find a joint solution with the unions as negotiations continue. and union statements, 2024 updates.
Iberia referenced the Ground Handling Sector Agreement, noting that the transfer of workers to winning contractors would keep all labor rights, salary components and benefits intact, including the aviation-related benefits that Iberia workers receive. It warned that implementing an automatic processing model where the license is lost would seriously harm the competitiveness of Iberia and IAG as a group, with significant short- and medium-term economic consequences.
During discussions, Iberia explained to the unions that an automatic handling arrangement and partial worker succession would not be viable. Such an approach would leave the most senior staff, who typically earn higher wages, within the group while the new contractors would recruit less costly personnel. The result would be a widening competitiveness gap, with the winning bidders able to offer far more aggressive prices—an outcome that could undermine competition among the main Spanish airlines and international operators that win the bid.
Iberia also noted that it has never relied on automatic processing at its operating airports, preferring to contract ground handling services to external providers instead. The company stated that outsourcing through third-party providers has been its longstanding approach rather than adopting an automatic model.