For the second time in the last ten days, the Barcelona-El Prat airport will suffer a strike of the on-site staff, in this case, the security guards. The call by the employees is indefinite, the negotiations are stagnant and a minimum service of 90% guarantees, only in theory, that the operation is not chaotic. But of course, this is taking place with the consequent concerns for users, the deterioration of the image of Barcelona, and the permanent loss of specific weight of a key infrastructure for Catalonia and its economy, which on top of that competes in inferiority of conditions with its competitors that, far from having similar problems, they enjoy a much more favorable look on the part of the airport manager company [AENA, central State owned].
It is mainly about issues that have been going on for long, and the solution of which is not being sought. In this case, as with the recent strike by Iberia ground staff, the complaint is about old claims for better working conditions or work overload in Barcelona compared to other airports in the AENA network. Only 10 days ago, for instance, the strike of Iberia ground staff -with new actions now in sight, maybe in August- had caused cancellations in more than a hundred Vueling and many other companies’ flights that operate from El Prat. So much so that Catalonia’s Ombudsman officially acted.
The situation that Barcelona suffers, summer in summer out, is neither normal nor acceptable, as it is standing in between a great indifference from the [Spanish] development ministry and the powerlessness from the Catalan ministry which is only left with the right to complain. As neutralised as some of the Catalan business are or with other priorities on their agenda, the new Barcelona Chamber of Commerce ought to lead a relentless and permanent complaint in the defence of Barcelona airport. This situation cannot be prolonged eternally and there seems to be no real desire for a solution.