Spain's first general strike in 14 years cuts 5% of flights

Spain's first general strike in 14 years forced the cancellation of 234 of the 4,529 flights scheduled at the country's airports on November 11, or 5.2 per cent, according to data from the airport operator Aena up to 10am reported by Europa Press. The total had risen to 332 by the evening, 7.3 per cent of the day's schedule, as Storm Charles caused further cancellations and diversions in the Canary Islands.

The strike was called by the country's two largest unions, Comisiones Obreras and the Unión General de Trabajadores, under the slogan "Salaries. Housing. Prices.", and came 18 days before the national election that prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called for November 29. The unions' demands include curbs on expensive tourist apartments, a crackdown on property speculation and the automatic renewal of leases.

The disruption at airports was far smaller than the government had allowed for, since the minimum services set by the transport ministry on November 6 required only 32 per cent of short domestic flights to operate at Madrid-Barajas and 34 per cent at Barcelona-El Prat. Airlines instead rescheduled flights and moved passengers onto departures on earlier days, and Madrid had cancelled only six of its 1,097 planned operations by 8.30am, according to Aena.

The ministry gave island routes the most protection, requiring between 52 and 85 per cent of flights to the Balearic and Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla to operate depending on the airport, against between 39 and 64 per cent on international and long domestic routes.

Iberia, its low-cost subsidiary Iberia Express and its regional partner Air Nostrum offered passengers booked on November 11 a refund, a voucher or a new date up to November 26, whether or not their flight was cancelled. Passengers on cancelled flights are entitled to a refund or rerouting and to meals and accommodation under EU rules, although compensation is generally not payable when a strike is outside an airline's control.

Participation was highest in heavy industry and transport, with unions reporting stoppages of 90 per cent in car manufacturing and ports, and Barcelona's metro and buses stopped running. Madrid's regional government, run by the conservative Popular party, called the strike a "complete and authentic failure", while Unai Sordo, leader of Comisiones Obreras, said it had "exceeded the labour unions' expectations".

Spanish aviation faces a second dispute alongside the general strike, as air traffic controllers employed by Saerco, a private company that runs the control towers at nine airports including Seville, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, have been on an indefinite strike since April 17. The dispute has no end date and has caused delays at Lanzarote since November 4.