ALFREDO PÉREZ RUBALCABA (Deputy Prime Minister, Spain)
After the past weekend the question has to be asked as to whether there will be a Xmas pilot’s strike in Spain? In theory, this is possible and something that the Spanish pilot’s Union, SEPLA, have been threatening.
However, the State of Alert in Spain declared over the Spanish air traffic controller’s strike in Spain over the past weekend must cast doubt upon any Xmas pilots strike in Spain.
Certainly, it is hard not to believe that the Spanish air traffic controllers were not in shock over the actions of the Spanish government in calling a State of Alert in Spain over their ‘wild cat’ action. This was the first time that martial law had been imposed since the days of General Franco’s dictatorship and was an action that was as shocking as it was firm and decisive.
Needless to say, the State of Alert was ‘shocking’ because Spain is still a nation trying hard to forget General Franco and his long dictatorship, which effectively ended only 35 years ago in 1975 when Franco died. Mind you, the really ironic thing about this weekend’s State of Alert in Spain has been that a Francoist measure (martial law) has been applied by a socialist government!
In fact, there seems to be near universal agreement that the measures taken by the government were correct and justified by the lunatic and irresponsible action of the Spanish air traffic controllers.
Certainly, the deputy Prime Minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, has come out of the situation well. He was the visible face of the government during the crisis and has probably justifed the comments made in diplomatic cables about him, as published by Wikileaks. There, he has been described as ‘very capable and serious’ and ‘arguably the most impressive member’ of Prime Minister Zapatero’s cabinet. Indeed, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba seems to be the likely successor to Zapatero.
So, will the Spanish pilots strike – will they really dare to strike over Xmas?
I cannot see it. Spanish pilots must, surely, be looking at the Spanish air traffic controllers strike and the government’s response to it and recognise that the Spanish government could well call a further State of Alert in Spain to crush any strike they attempt. It would therefore be a brave union that tempts the government to take that action – particularly a union with a relatively small membership, comprised of professionals who are perceived to be well paid.
The bottom line is that if you have booked flights to or from Spain over the Xmas period then I suspect that you will be safe from a Xmas pilot’s strike in Spain.
For sure, Spain needs stikes affecting its tourist industry like the proverbial ‘pain in the head’. The Spanish economy is in deep trouble and the last thing it needs is to develop a reputation as somewhere unreliable in which to take a holiday. As it is, the Spanish air traffic controller’s strike in Spain is estimated to have cost the country something like 300 million Euros, whilst adversely affecting some 650,000 people. For this to be followed by a Spanish pilots strike must be unthinkable.
What of the government? Well, it may actually regain some popularity. More than one person has said to me that declaring a State of Alert in Spain was the first sign of leadership that Prime Minister Zapatero has shown for years.
Certainly, the ruling socialist PSOE party needs all the popularity it can get. A recent poll in El Pais (a national Spanish newspaper) showed that the socialist government’s popularity was down to 24.3% (the worst ever) with 69% of those polled disapproving of Prime Minister Zapatero. Interestingly (on a side issue) 51% of the Spanish population evidently think that Spain will need an EU bailout.