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Go Back   Pollensa Forum > BEFORE YOU GO > Flights to Palma de Mallorca, Majorca

Flights to Palma de Mallorca, Majorca Anything related to flights to & from Palma and airports (UK & PMI).

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  #1  
Old 04-08-2010, 08:27
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Default Air Traffic Control Strikes

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but anyone travelling on 14th 15th and 16th August could experience looong delays because the Air Traffic Controllers have voted to strike on those days. In spite of appeals to their better natures a total of 98% voted in favour on mainland Spain and 99% in Palma, so the support for a strike is very strong.This is according to this morning's Diario de Mallorca.
If you're travelling at a later date don't feel smug - there is a strong possibility of further strikes later in August.
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Old 04-08-2010, 08:49
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Oh dear travelling back on the 14th, although details are still sketchy I think, this is from online news.

Spanish Air Traffic Controllers vote for strike action in August

Spanish Air Traffic Controllers voted on Tuesday to start strike action after August 15th, but they failed to decide on a concrete date at this stage.

A three day stoppage is planned and is expected to start on either the 18th or the 20th of August. The union is to meet on Wednesday to decide on the exact dates.

Union sources say that 92% of the 98% of the workers who cast their vote, voted for strike action.

The controllers are unhappy at their working conditions following a 40% wage cut which has taken average pay down to 200,000 € a year, and say the strike is needed in the face of the inability shown by the Minster for Development, José Blanco, to hold talks on the matter. They say he has responded to their unknown requests with Decrees which are still to be published in the Official State Bulletin, and that they hope that sensitivity will return to the Ministry and to the AENA, Spanish Airports Authority, so negotiations can avoid the strike.

UPDATE
Just got this from the papers, obviously the story is front page news in all the Spanish papers.

El Mundo says the controllers will stop work after August 15 and will try and paralyse airports in the middle of August.
ABC considers the controllers are challenging the Government with the strike which was supported by 98% of those who voted. It says airlines have already described it as ‘catastrophic’.
El País notes that the starting date and the duration of the stoppage are still to be decided.
Público leads with the story and says that at least half a million passengers will be affected and the imposed minimum services could be over 50%.
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Last edited by sws97sdg; 04-08-2010 at 08:56. Reason: Update
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  #3  
Old 04-08-2010, 10:02
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sws97sdg View Post

The controllers are unhappy at their working conditions following a 40% wage cut which has taken average pay down to 200,000 € a year,
If that's a 40% reduction then they have been earning 280,000 Euro a year !

Amazing......
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Old 04-08-2010, 10:59
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Surely it must be 20,000? If not, then they're earning more than our Prime Minister

Last edited by Smiddy; 04-08-2010 at 11:04.
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Old 04-08-2010, 11:07
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Mark - I think your maths is slightly out. If 200000is the result of a 40% decrease then they would have been on about 330000 pa
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Old 04-08-2010, 11:16
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I am not sure of the maths, but even so it does seem a lot of money although I wouldn't want the job with all the responsibility with peoples lives, also a 40% cut in what ever your wage is would take some adjusting to.
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Old 04-08-2010, 11:17
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You are right GG, I added 40% onto the 200,000, should have worked it out the other way, almost one third of a million euros a year !!!!
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Old 04-08-2010, 12:42
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Some Spanish civil air traffic controllers were earning 800,000 Euros per year until February! The reduction in their wages now means that their average salary is 200,000 Euros per year!

UK air traffic controllers earn an average of between £60,000 to £90,000 and, if they go on strike, military air traffic controllers in the UK can take over.

In Spain, military air traffic controllers are not currently permitted to take over during an industrial dispute so the civil air traffic controllers can hold the Spanish government to ransom while a lot of the country is on its knees with unemployment now exceeding 20% and the average Spaniard earning only 21,500 Euros per year according to latest statistics.
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Old 04-08-2010, 13:00
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The union is now saying it wants to avoid any strike and is hoping for a "gesture" from the government and AENA - like they'll accept a 20% cut probably, poor them. No precise date has been set, but if it goes ahead then from 16 August is now being spoken about. The union has to give ten days notice ahead of any action.
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Old 04-08-2010, 15:47
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It reminds me of some print unions in the seventies, closed shop, all powerful; the mere threat of a strike enough to bring their employers to heel. Of course, the controllers are in an even stronger position than the printers because human life is at stake not just profits. Apparently it costs 40,000 Euros to take a course (paid for by the trainee) and the union dictates how many people can subscribe each year so there is a very finite number of contollers earning vast sums of overtime. Their experience is that the government will back down in face of threats to strike and they seem confident that it will back down this time. Selfishly, so do I, but, given the dire economic circumstances, their bluff may be called this time and we will all be airport lounge crazy
If you can read Spanish there is an excellent summing up of the situation from a Spanish air traffic controller who has contributed a comment to the lead story about the strike in El Diario de Mallorca
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Old 04-08-2010, 16:34
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Interesting, link is here:

Diario de Mallorca

translate:
Google Translate

comments:
Google Translate

( google translate calls them ' drivers' )

Mark
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  #12  
Old 05-08-2010, 09:15
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Air-traffic controllers offered 200,000 euros a year if they call off the strike
By: thinkSPAIN , Wednesday, August 4, 2010


AENA bosses have offered striking air-traffic controllers an average salary of 200,000 euros a year until 2013 on the condition that they change their minds about downing tools.

They met with members of the air-traffic controllers' union, USCA, this afternoon to negotiate.

The airline governing body, AENA – which is part of the ministry of public works – has offered salaries 'way above staff's European colleagues' in a bid to make them re-think.

But air-traffic controllers, who have threatened to strike for up to three days starting from either August 18 or 20 – to be confirmed – say AENA has been attempting to bribe them with higher pay and failing to address their real concerns.

These include poor shift management, meaning long hours without a break, and the fact that they want to be given the right to retire early at the age of 57.

AENA has attempted to address working times by restricting annual hours to 1,670, with a further 80 hours' overtime.

This supposes a reduction of around an hour a week from the previous 1,800 hours a year (on average, 35 hours a week).

The plan will include fixed rest periods, programming of working days or nights and 24-hour shift sharing, as well as bonuses for productivity.

If the strike goes ahead, it could cost airlines millions of euros and leave holidaymakers heading for the Mediterranean this summer having to forego their trips.



Ryanair today called on the Spanish Government to ensure that Spain’s vital airports remain open and operating if air traffic control workers strike in August. The Spanish economy, passengers and airlines can not afford these airport closures at a time when traffic and tourism is suffering. Ryanair called on the Spanish Government to intervene in these strikes to ensure that Spain’s airports remain open for business, if necessary by calling out the Spanish military to operate air traffic control. Ryanair pointed out that in other EU countries the military can ensure air transport continues to operate, even during strikes, by providing vital services such as Air Traffic Control. Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: “Air transport and tourism is vital to the Spanish economy and the Government must ensure that Spanish airports remain open during strikes by calling on the military to provide air traffic control services. While air traffic controllers have the right to strike, these actions should not be allowed to disrupt the travel plans of millions of Spanish citizens or visitors. The Government must keep Spain’s vital airports and air traffic control services open even during periods of industrial disruption. This happens in many other European countries when strikes threaten air transport and it should happen in Spain as well so that innocent air passengers are not blackmailed or held to ransom by Spanish transport workers. Spanish Air Traffic Control strikes and the industrial action taken by French ATC workers in recent weeks highlights the urgent need for a standardised Europe-wide system of air traffic control to ensure that striking air traffic controllers in one country could not hold the travelling public to ransom. Under a standardised Europe-wide ATC strikes would be covered by controllers in other countries so that passengers are not disrupted by strike action of very well paid ATC workers.”
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Last edited by sws97sdg; 05-08-2010 at 11:17. Reason: Update
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  #13  
Old 05-08-2010, 21:10
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With Spain and the European Tourist industry in the grips of a very serious crisis it is very difficult to find any sympathy or support for these controllers who have an excellent salary and excellent conditions - who else has a 30mins break after 2 hours work or earns even 50% of this salary for a 35hr week?? Huge responsability yes, but then there are many many people who hold a lot of responsability and are not rewarded in this style.
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Old 05-08-2010, 22:05
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Well if we're going to be stuck somewhere if we can't fly home on the 23rd Aug, then can't think of anywhere better then PP!

However I'd like to know their mind is on the job and not thinking about striking.
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Old 06-08-2010, 08:54
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Todays DB

TOURISM AND COMMERCE START TO PANIC OVER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER STRIKE
NEWSDESK
PALMA
Air traffic controllers said yesterday that their planned strike will not be before August 16.
But, union leaders whose members voted for the industrial action said yesterday they hope negotiations with the government will allow them to call it off.

Daniel Zamit, of the controllers’ union USCA, said that no date has been set yet but if a strike is held it will be after August 16.
The dispute centres on a recent government order that increases the hours controllers work and shortens their rest breaks during shifts.
The changes are the latest chapter of a row that began in February when the government slashed overtime hours, cutting controllers’ pay that was as high as £290'000 a year - four times what the prime minister earns. The government aviation authority AENA was locked in a meeting with union chiefs last night but the tourism and commercial sectors were feeling the worst with the strike already all over the UK and German media.

Mr Zamit said Spain’s 2'000 air traffic controllers are overworked and understaffed.
He has demanded a meeting with development minister Jose Blanco, who he accused of imposing the changes in a heavy-handed fashion.
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