Spanish pilots and AENA staff plan Dec-2010 strikes

AENA employees announced strike action during Christmas over the Spanish Government's plans for partial privatisation of the airport authority (Typically Spanish/AFP, 02-Dec-2010). AENA will decide on the exact dates and form of protest after the Constitution Bank Holiday on 09-Dec-2010 after the CCOO, UGT and USO unions hold a meeting with members of the USCA air traffic controllers union. Members of the AENA Board have described the announcement of the granting of concessions for the private management of Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat Airports as amounting to "bumping off AENA". SEPLA union pilots meanwhile have postponed their decision on possible strike action until after a meeting with the Ministry for Development today (03-Dec-2010). SEPLA has however stated the pilots' strike will not coincide with "key dates" of the Christmas period and will "do as little harm as possible to air travellers". The Association has criticised the "repeated failure" of the Transport Ministry to ease pilots' working hours, which it has claimed are above maximum thresholds allowed under European law.