Madrid airport security strike starts as staff and firm fail to reach a deal

PROSEGUR security guards at Madrid's Adolfo Suárez-Barajas airport have failed to reach an agreement with their company on working conditions and pay, meaning they will go ahead with their strikes as planned from today (Thursday) until Monday, January 8 inclusive.

They have targeted the Christmas holiday season in order to cause as much disruption as possible and raise awareness of their situation, which they say is becoming intolerable.

Earlier this week, Prosegur staff said that despite Spain being on terrorism alert level 4 – out of a maximum of 5 – meaning their workload had increased, their wages had in fact gone down.

They frequently have to work through scheduled rest breaks and lunch breaks, are unable to stop for a quick bite to eat or to go to the toilet – something they did not have to put up with just two or three years ago – and yet they are not even earning a living wage that lasts them from payday to payday, employees say.

An initial agreement to give security staff an 11% pay increase, on top of the 5% 'large airport' allowance given to those working at the terminals in Madrid, was met with approval and employees called off a strike planned between November 28 and December 11.

But the company says the salary rises will be subject to the franchise being put up for bid and the new holders being willing to put up the extra cash.

The only wage increase set in stone at the moment is a 2% rise from the start of next year.

Prosegur has complained the strike is 'illegal' and say a court in Madrid had already testified to this in the summer, with a judge finding that the motives for the planned industrial action did not justify the move.

Security staff will go off duty four times a day over the next three weeks – between 05.30 and 06.30 in the morning; from 10.30 to 11.30; from 14.00 to 15.00, and from 19.00 to 20.00.