British facilities management multinational Mitie is once again coming under fire for its worker relations at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport.
Last summer, a lawyer acting on behalf of a group of workers sent the company a letter which referred to an "unsustainable situation" due to poor management. The letter stated that employees were at their physical and mental limits, that there was an "unbearable" volume of work and a "hostile working environment".
Previous complaints were filed with the courts, the lawyer, Nicolás Sosa, once more pointing to an unsustainable relationship between workers and supervisors and handling complaints regarding dismissals.
Workers claim that some of these dismissals are based on a supposed drop in activity. With the tourism season under way and set to get busier, they say this is not the case. They also maintain that dismissals have occurred because of refusal to accept changes to shifts that mean they have to work consecutive shifts in just a few hours, less than the legally stipulated rest period. "If you don't accept, you could be fired," says Sosa.
There are allegations that supervisors subject workers to surveillance that can constitute a violation of their right to privacy. "They even accompany them to the bathroom to ensure they don't smoke or waste time during their shift," adds Sosa.
Queues at passport control are attributed to a lack of training for new employees who "barely have time to receive this" as their hiring is rushed to fill vacant positions.
Mitie, which has a Spanish division, took over the management of services at the airport - passport control support, access and mobility of travellers - in November 2023. Reports of complaints about the company first surfaced in February last year; these were to do with non-payment of overtime and bonuses.
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