GOOD NEWS: Air traffic controllers in the Canary Islands choose NOT to strike over Christmas

The air traffic controllers strike, which began last February, at privately owned control towers across Spain is continuing, however, in the Canary Islands, they have decided to refrain from participating over the Christmas holidays to prevent problems for travellers at one of the busiest times of the year for the archipelago.

This follows the failure of a new meeting yesterday for the negotiation of the sector's new collective agreement. Saerco, responsible for managing air navigation in thirteen of the privately owned control towers in Spain, which includes those in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, accused the Air Traffic Controllers Union (USCA), the majority union in the sector, of proposing a salary increase of more than 35% which is "unaffordable" for any company.

However, sources from USCA said that in their latest proposal, they had significantly lowered their economic demands, now requesting an increase equivalent to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Meanwhile, Saerco reported that they proposed a 3% salary increase in 2024. This percentage, combined with the 3.3% already planned in the current agreement, would increase workers' incomes by 6% in the next year. The proposal was also endorsed by the sector's employers' association, APCTA.

Saerco added in a statement that the air traffic sector, being concession-dependent, maintains incomes set by the administration for years, with more than 90% of its costs borne by human resources.

The union explained that it was confident the company would accept its proposal, as it was simply an increase tied to the CPI. However, the SIMA mediator suspended the meeting, stating that the proposals from both parties were too far apart, and reaching an agreement would be impossible.

For USCA, all this demonstrates that Saerco has no real interest in resolving the situation and will be "solely responsible for any delays caused by the strike."

In the Canary Islands, nevertheless, controllers have decided not to participate in the strike during Christmas, to avoid affecting both visitors and residents of the archipelago who travel during this period, planning to resume the strike from January 7th onwards.