Strike affects operations at Geneva Airport
Published: Sunday, Dec 24th 2023, 15:00
Updated At: Sunday, Dec 24th 2023, 15:00
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The strike by employees of the ground handling company Dnata at Geneva Airport led to flight cancellations and delays on Sunday. The strike ended at midday on Sunday after around eight hours, as confirmed by the Dnata workforce in response to an inquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency.
This was after the VPOD union and the management had reached an agreement. The strikers resumed work at midday.
Due to the strike, a total of six flights were canceled on Sunday morning and some were delayed by more than an hour. In addition, some flights were operated without loading or unloading baggage, according to Geneva Airport.
Overall, however, operations at the airport ran smoothly, as a Keystone-SDA reporter reported on site. Dnata handled 85 of 419 scheduled flights on Sunday. A total of almost 52,000 passengers were expected at the airport on Christmas Eve.
Strike begins early in the morning
Part of the Dnata workforce walked off the job early on Sunday morning. The VPOD union had already threatened to go on strike at the beginning of the week due to disagreements over pay. Shortly before 4.30 a.m. on Sunday, around 100 employees gathered at the airport's kiss-and-fly parking lot, as VPOD union secretary Jamshid Pouranpir told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
With banners reading "Precarious work, plane on the ground", the strikers demanded a wage increase of five percent, as well as bonuses depending on the severity of the work.
Three percent higher wages
The negotiations that took place between the union and management in the morning finally led to an agreement shortly before midday. The employees were awarded a collective labor agreement (CLA), which they had not had since 2017, as well as a bonus for the difficulty of the work.
The agreement also provides for a wage increase of three percent. The strikers had demanded an increase of five percent. In addition, all employees are to receive a one-off bonus of up to 500 francs (depending on the workload).
The same conditions therefore also apply to Dnata staff in Zurich.
Trade unions satisfied
"We are very satisfied," said VPOD union secretary Pouranpir. He thanked the management for reaching out to the workforce.
A spokesperson for Dnata also expressed his satisfaction: "We are convinced that the new agreement will provide a solid foundation for a positive and cooperative relationship between the two parties".
Dnata employs around 600 people at Geneva Airport. Among other things, they issue tickets and transport passengers and baggage on the ground. The company operates for airlines including Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Air France, KLM, British Airways, Iberia, Air Lingus and, in some cases, Easyjet.
©Keystone/SDA
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