Swissport Handling Staff at Palma de Mallorca Accuse Company of ‘Abusive’ Minimum-Service Order as Strike Continues

Ground-handling workers employed by Swissport at Palma de Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan Airport staged the second of four planned partial strikes on 1 August, but union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) says management and Spain’s Transport Ministry have rendered the protest “symbolic” by obliging 98 % of the 520-strong workforce to remain on duty. The official minimum-service order originally set staffing at 60 %, yet additional ‘protected’ flights were later added without union consent, according to shop-steward Carmen Martínez. Swissport—whose clients at Palma include easyJet, British Airways and Emirates—argues that peak-season passenger volumes leave no margin for lower coverage. The dispute centres on wage parity: workers claim they earn up to €4,000 a year less than peers at other Spanish handlers despite record traffic that saw Palma process 4.2 million passengers in July alone. With talks stalled, further four-hour stoppages are scheduled for 4 and 8 August, coinciding with the busiest outbound weekends for Spanish holidaymakers. Operational impact has so far been limited to minor luggage delays and one cancelled charter flight, but airlines have begun contingency planning—chartering extra turnaround crews from Barcelona and Madrid and warning passengers to travel with carry-on only. Travel-management companies are flagging the risk of missed cruise-ship connections and recommending longer layovers for expatriates and assignees changing planes in Palma. The legal wrangle may set a precedent for Spain’s wider aviation sector, where handling companies increasingly subcontract labour yet remain subject to strict public-interest minimums. If courts agree that the 98 % threshold violates the constitutional right to strike, future industrial action—whether by cabin crew, air-traffic controllers or security contractors—could become more disruptive. Practical tips: corporate travellers due to transit PMI between 3-9 August should 1) avoid tight connections, 2) use luggage-tracking devices, and 3) check airline apps for gate changes triggered by ad-hoc staffing. Employers should also verify that posted-worker notifications for temporarily reassigned personnel are updated, as Swissport may shift staff from sister stations in Madrid or Valencia.