Holiday strike threat at airports

SPANISH union leaders have threatened a strike by airport workers that could close down airports during the busy Easter holiday season.

The General Workers union, the Workers Commission union and the Syndicated Workers union said at a rally in Madrid on yesterday that negotiations with the government over its plans to partly privatise the civil aviation agency, AENA, have broken down.

"The strike would affect all airports in the country," union representative Raul Gomez said as he led around 2,500 of AENA's more that 12,000 employees, including baggage handlers and firefighters, on a march to the Puerta del Sol square in the centre of the city.

Union leaders said they were worried that many of airport workers would be asked to accept less pay as well as worse and less safe working conditions in a part-privatised company.

The threatened strike action would take place on 22-25 April, but could be extended to 22 May, when the country holds regional elections.

The government on Friday incorporated a new holding company under which private investors can buy up to 49 per cent of AENA's shares.

Spain's government halted an air traffic control strike in December by imposing an emergency decree threatening employees with prison and placing control towers under military supervision.

AENA director Javier Marin said he was confident that a deal could be achieved.