The Spanish air traffic controllers ''strike'' began on December 3, 2010, when the Socialist Government of

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. O ...

declared rate 0 forcing a National Air Navigation Lock-Out and portraying

air traffic controller An Air traffic controller (ATC) is a person responsible for the coordination of traffic in their assigned airspace. Typically stationed in area control centers or control towers, they monitor the position, speed, and altitude of aircraft and c ...

s in Spanish airports (and in other units) as if they were walking out in a coordinated

wildcat strike A wildcat strike is a strike action undertaken by unionised workers without union leadership's authorization, support, or approval; this is sometimes termed an unofficial industrial action. The legality of wildcat strikes varies between countries ...

. Following that lock-out, the

Spanish Government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...

authorised the Spanish military forces to escort air traffic controllers in order to continue operations in a total of eight airports, including the country's two main airports, Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat. On the morning of December 4, the government declared a 'State of Alert', conscripting the controllers back to work supervised by the military forces and under the military law, instead of the civil law. The move by the Spanish Government came after a year of dispute with the air traffic controllers and the Spanish airport authority

Aena ENAIRE is the air navigation manager in Spain, certified for the provision of enroute, approach and aerodrome control services. As a Statutory corporation, public corporate entity attached to the Ministry of Public Works (Spain), Spanish Minis ...

over working conditions, work schedules and benefits. According to some sources, air traffic controllers could earn up to 350,000 euros per annum, a claim that has been hotly disputed. This meant that the controllers did not receive much sympathy in Spain. On the same day as the lock-out, the Spanish

Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...

approved plans to partially privatise Aena. The use of emergency powers was the first time since the restoration of democracy in 1975 that a state of alert had been called. Under the measure, controllers were escorted by armed guards and faced arrest for the crime of disobedience, stipulated in the Spanish military penal code in case of not showing up at work. Some controllers reported to have been forced to work at gunpoint. The use of this measure by the Spanish government has been severely criticised by ATCEUC ( Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination) through a press release. And also by judge Juan Antonio Vázquez Taín:

References

{{reflist 2010 in Spain 2010 labor disputes and strikes Air traffic control in Spain Aviation strikes History of air traffic control Labour disputes in Spain Politics of Spain

See also

References