AIRPORT STRIKES SPAIN
So, airport strikes in Spain are planned for 22 days starting from the 20th April (Easter!!) and then ending on August the 31st – right through the main holiday periods. For the planned dates: see this Post.
What a disastrous prospect for Spain – a country reeling within an economic crisis that has led to unemployment in Spain being over 20% with one of its major industries (construction) on its knees for the foreseeable future! In fact, given the vital importance of tourism to Spain, it is actually hard to imagine anything more damaging to the country than action that, in any way, harms tourism.
Of course, the Spanish government will be fully aware of the damage that airport strikes in Spain will cause and this, for you, as a traveller to Spain – is critical to recognise.
Obviously, you will be wondering whether to cancel your planned holiday to Spain. You would be mad not to be thinking about this. The very last thing that you will want is to be stranded either coming into or trying to leave Spain. This is something that can ruin any holiday and end in considerable unplanned expense. At best…
So, what are the chances of the planned airport strikes in Spain going ahead?
My instinct (and that of friends of mine here) is that the planned airport strikes in Spain will not be allowed to go ahead by the Spanish government. Tomorrow (Thursday) there will be a meeting between the unions and the Public Works minister, José Blanco, and this should reveal more about what will happen.
Certainly, the prospect must exist that the Spanish government will pass emergency legislation to prevent airport strikes in Spain. Tourism is of vital strategic importance to Spain, its economy and overall welfare. It is just too important to be disrupted. Indeed, recognising this, the present socialist government of Zapatero has already shown that it can be remarkably firm (during the recent air traffic controllers strike in Spain) when pushed into a corner.
Meanwhile, few people in Spain will welcome endangering the tourist industry when it is primed for a huge boom initiated by the political problems in North Africa. This is leading people to cancel holidays there – for somewhere safe and sound like Spain.
Certainly, the unions are very powerful but Spain has far more people working in small (non-unionised) businesses than those who are union members. Any threat to tourism is therefore likely to be unpopular amongst the majority of workers in the private sector who will be seeing their livelihoods adversely affected. Obviously, there will also be little support for the strikes from the huge multidudes of unemployed people in Spain – who will be envious of anyone with a job, irrespective of some planned curtailments to their benefits.
The upshot is that you should not panic too much (yet) about the planned airport strikes in Spain – for the moment. The stakes are just too high for the Spanish government not to resolve the situation quickly…