Planned ground handling strikes at Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) have been called off after Swissport and trade union CCOO reached an agreement over working conditions, removing the threat of further disruption during the busy August travel period.
The agreement follows negotiations at the Balearic mediation service TAMIB and comes after workers staged four days of partial strike action in late July and early August.
Further industrial action had been scheduled for the second half of August, potentially affecting passengers travelling through one of Spain’s busiest holiday airports during the peak summer season.
Swissport and CCOO Reach Agreement at Palma Airport
The dispute involved Swissport ground handling employees at Palma de Mallorca Airport, whose responsibilities include passenger check-in, customer service, baggage handling and ramp operations.
Workers had raised concerns over several aspects of their employment conditions, including seasonal working hours, shift organisation and wage guarantees.
CCOO sought changes to roster planning and employment conditions to reflect the workload faced by airport staff during Mallorca’s particularly busy summer season.
Following negotiations between the two sides at TAMIB, an agreement was reached and the remaining planned strike dates were cancelled.
Agreement Covers Pay, Contracts and Rest Days
Under the agreement, Swissport and workers’ representatives have reached new arrangements covering several of the issues at the centre of the dispute.
Changes Include Improved Contract Stability
The deal includes measures relating to:
- Greater contract stability for ground handling employees
- Revised pay scales
- Changes to rest-day scheduling
- Improvements to shift and roster planning
The agreement brings the latest industrial dispute at Palma Airport to an end after several days of limited strike action had already taken place.
What the Cancelled Palma Airport Strike Means for Passengers
For passengers travelling to and from Mallorca, the cancellation significantly reduces the risk of strike-related ground handling disruption during the remainder of August.
Ground handling operations are essential to the normal functioning of the airport, covering services ranging from check-in and baggage handling to aircraft ramp operations.
Industrial action involving these teams can therefore result in longer queues, baggage delays and disruption to airline turnaround operations even when scheduled flights themselves are not cancelled.
With the remaining strike action withdrawn, Swissport’s ground handling operations at Palma Airport are expected to continue normally during the affected August dates.
Palma Airport Faces Peak Summer Travel Period
The agreement is particularly significant given its timing in the middle of Mallorca’s peak tourism season.
Palma de Mallorca Airport serves as the main international gateway to the Balearic island and experiences some of its highest passenger volumes during July and August, when millions of European travellers head to Mallorca for summer holidays.
The resolution of the Swissport dispute removes one potential source of disruption for airlines and passengers as the airport moves through one of the busiest periods of its annual schedule.
Travellers should nevertheless continue to check their flight status with their airline before travelling, particularly during the peak summer period when delays can occur for reasons unrelated to industrial action.
