Iberia's ground staff announced four new strike dates for the 24th, 25th, 30th and 31st August at Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport "as a response to the passivity of the company's management and the lack of proposals" claims UGT union in a statement.
The union explained that the strike committee had tried to open negotiations with Iberia with the aim of avoiding new protests. In fact, after the two days of strike on 27th and 28th July, the representatives of the workers called on the management to sit down to negotiate before 2nd August, and did not receive a response.
The ground staff, who is in charge of the handling of the baggage of up to 27 airlines in El Prat, lament the lack of stability for the employees, the excess of workloads, the overtime and the reorganisation of shifts aimed at reconciling family and work life.
On the other hand, UGT also called on the administrations to urge Iberia to provide the airport with sufficient resources, along the lines of other facilities of the same characteristics, such as Madrid Barajas airport.
During the 27th and 28th July strikes, which were attempted to stop without success with a last-minute mediation with the department of work, more than a hundred flights had to be cancelled. In addition, on Saturday the situation was aggravated by the interruption of the air traffic in El Prat due to a heavy storm.
The announcement of new strikes coincides with the fifth consecutive day of the indefinite stop carried out by the security guards of the airport, although the effect of the strike on travelers is proving to be very scarce after the ministry of public works set the minimum services at 90%.