A niche but disruptive labour dispute at Spain’s busiest airport shows no sign of ending. On 24 September strike-monitoring service StrikeTracker confirmed that maintenance workers from contractors Outsmart Assistance and Totseriman will continue their rolling stoppages on the automated baggage-handling system (SATE) at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport until at least 30 September. Under the Transport Ministry’s minimum-service order, staff down tools on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays during two daily windows (05:00–07:00 and 13:00–15:00). Flights are still operating, but if a belt or sorter fails during a stoppage, repairs wait until the next staffed interval, causing baggage delivery delays—especially in Terminals T4 and T1-T3. For airlines the contingency plans include positioning extra ramp staff to manually transfer priority bags and advising connecting passengers to keep valuables in cabin luggage. Ground-handling agents say average wait time for checked bags on strike mornings has risen from 21 minutes to 38 minutes. Corporate-travel managers should warn employees landing at peak strike hours to factor in potential delays before onward rail or meeting commitments. Where possible, elite-status or priority-tagged luggage should be used, although even those bags have seen delays of up to 20 minutes. Travellers with tight connections through Madrid might consider hand-luggage-only options until October. Negotiations between the Alternativa Social de Clase union and the contractors remain stalled over pay scales linked to the consumer-price index. If no agreement emerges, unions may file a notice to extend the action into the busy October long-weekend period, when Madrid hosts several trade fairs.
Source: StrikeTracker
