Swissport strike in Palma ends: agreement reduces risk of further disruption in Mallorca
Swissport and the CCOO union have reached an agreement following four days of strikes at Palma de Mallorca airport. New strikes, planned for the second half of August, have thus been avoided during one of the busiest periods of the season.
The industrial dispute at Swissport in Mallorca has ended with an agreement that should bring more stable airport operations Palma de Mallorca for the rest of the summer season. On 14 August, CCOO confirmed the agreement reached with Swissport before the Balearic Arbitration and Mediation Tribunal, following four days of strikes and several weeks of negotiations.
The agreement covers working hours, schedules and pay.
The agreement provides for the possibility of increasing employees' working hours in accordance with Mallorca's seasonal needs, as well as better planning of the season, shifts and days off. Salaries and conditions must also be aligned with the sectoral collective agreement, including the application of the appropriate inflation adjustment for 2026.
Particular attention will be paid to verifying the employment conditions of staff who moved to Swissport from Groundforce, in order to identify any potential discrepancies in pay. The possibility of negotiating additional allowances for employees performing multiple roles has also been opened up. Meanwhile, CCOO describes the agreement as a first step, announcing that it will monitor the implementation of the agreed measures.
New strikes had already been prepared
An agreement was reached just before a new series of work stoppages. The Spanish Ministry of Transport had already set minimum service levels for the strikes on 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29 August. According to data provided to the Ministry, the dispute involved around 650 Swissport employees in Palma.
For airlines and tour operators, the end of the dispute therefore removes a major operational risk in the middle of the peak season. Ground handling directly affects passenger check-in, baggage, boarding and aircraft turnaround times.
Barcelona remains under pressure
The situation is different in Barcelona. There it is not a matter of Swissport, but of a separate labour dispute involving Groundforce employees. The indefinite strike at Barcelona-El Prat Airport began on 4 August and was still active in the middle of the month, although operations had mostly functioned without major disruption in recent days.
