Hi from BCN
On Friday and after a short meeting at bcn airport the iberia handling
agents decided to take the runways without any notice.
Trolleys were placed on the runway, even the wing of one a/c was damaged. Handling equipment was placed all over the ramp and runways. Signals instruments was destroyed but... didnīt see any oil on fire and nothing about that was reported in the spanish media.
But the worst was to come. Two a/c heading for BCN were carrying organs for transplants. Both organs were lost, they arrived too late to the hospital. And even worst, one air-ambulance carrying a very sick kid had to be diverted to Valladolid (miles, miles, miles away from BCN) due all the normal diversion airports were full of diverted a/c. Well... the kid never reached any hospital. He died.
Going back to the situation at the airport.
On Friday night the government sent the riot police and cleared the runways, they couldnīt do it before as the rioters were threatening to burn an a/c parked near the "bloque tecnico". After the runways were cleared an agreement was reached so the full time workers will keep their jobs.
It looks like everything is sorted, right? well.... not really.
Saturday morning on my way to the airport to deliver the paperwork to the pilots of my company (i work in ops) i found an unusual massive traffic jam at 04.30 AM. The reason? Air Madrid cancelled one of the flights affected by the strike from the previous day, and the passengers decided to take the streets and block the access road to the airport!!
Probably ye think that today (sunday) the situation will improve, donīt ya? Well.... it didnīt.
The temporary staff of Iberia Handling refused to work today. The guys collecting and delivering bags to/from the aircrafts decided that they want the same agreement as the full time employees and didnīt go to work today.
The whole baggage system colapsed. Most of the flights, ibera and other airlines, suffered more than two hours delay in most of our flights and some of them left with pax and no bags.
Some passengers went absolutly crazy and decided to go to the baggage carrusel using the same way that the suitcases follow!! They found a handling agent of another company (not iberia), the guy was not wearing his official uniform, as iberia workers do to avoid any trouble, and the pax kicked the ****e out of him thinking he was one of the iberia guys on strike.
So then, at 0600z, we have the iberia guys on strike and the other companies guys refusing to go anywhere until the police take mesurements against the atackers.
Finally around 1000z it looks like everything is getting quieter, pax are back at the terminal, everybody seems to be working normally, but there are thousends of pieces of luggage undelivered.
What will happen tomorrow? Will the protesters get everything they ask for? Will they be prosecuted? And if they succeed, in Madrid another big handling company (not iberia) lost their licence too, will their employees decide to follow the steps of their catalans colleagues??