BALEARIC GOVERNMENT WELCOMES NEWS THAT AIRPORT STRIKES ARE OFF

THE Balearic government expressed its relief and joy that the threatened 22 days of airports strikes during the Easter and Summer holidays have finally been called off.

Late on Thursday night, Spanish airport workers voted to call off the 22 days of strike action, a spokesman from Spain's largest union CCOO said yesterday, averting disruption over peak holiday periods between April and August. “A total of 70 percent of votes were in favour of calling off the strike, with 29.7 votes against and a couple of abstentions,” the CCOO spokesman said.

Spanish airport operator AENA and unions reached a preliminary agreement to call off the action on March 16 which took on board workers' concerns over labour conditions and job security related to the planned part privatisation of the airport operator.

Here in the Balearics, the vast majority of airport staff voted in favour of calling off strike action.
Of the 1'172 AENA employees in the region, 743 (73 percent) voted and 80 percent, 594, voted in favour of the deal offered by the Spanish government.
Nevertheless, the uncertainty over the strike has hit bookings with reports from hotel association in the Balearics having reported cancellations and flight booking websites reporting a marked drop in searches and demand for flight to the Balearics on or around the dates on which the unions were planning to go on strike.

However, the Spanish tourist board has described the damage as “minimal” with the Balearics enjoying record bookings in the UK this year.
The Spanish Tourist Board, Turespaña, has also launched a damage limitation campaign in the country's main client markets such as the UK, advertising the fact the strikes are off and it is business as usual in this year.