Geneva airport workers go on strike, flights delayed

AFP

Some flights from Geneva airport were delayed and some were canceled during the holiday rush Sunday, as dozens of ground staff went on strike over a wage dispute.

The workers began their strike at 4:00 am (0300 GMT) to protest conditions provided by their employer, the Dubai National Air Travel Agency (Dnata).

Dnata personnel, who handle about a fifth of the traffic through Cointrin airport, were striking to demand “dignified working conditions and decent wages”, the SSP public sector union said on X, formerly Twitter.

Around 80 strikers gathered in front of the airport before dawn, wearing bright yellow safety vests and brandishing union flags and posters with messages like: “Dnata is killing me” and “Precarious work means grounded flights”.

The airport acknowledged that the work stoppage was delaying flights during the busy Christmas rush.

“Some of the employees of a service provider are on strike today, causing an impact on our operations,” it said in a statement, apologizing to passengers for the inconvenience.

Airport spokesman Ignace Jeannerat stressed that there were no problems facing flights not assisted by Dnata personnel.

Around 80 strikers gathered in front of the airport before dawn, wearing bright yellow safety vests and brandishing union flags and posters with messages like: “Dnata is killing me” and “Precarious work means grounded flights”.

The airport acknowledged that the work stoppage was delaying flights during the busy Christmas rush.

“Some of the employees of a service provider are on strike today, causing an impact on our operations,” it said in a statement, apologizing to passengers for the inconvenience.

Airport spokesman Ignace Jeannerat stressed that there were no problems facing flights not assisted by Dnata personnel.

They also want the company to provide a premium for some physically challenging jobs and additional pay for night and Sunday work, something Dnata has refused to do, union representative Jamshid Pouranpir told 20Minutes.

Dnata has offered to raise salaries by three percent and agreed to drop a controversial plan to cut contributions to staff retirement funds, but that has not been enough to satisfy the workers.

Dnata representative Alexandre Koenig told 20Minutes that the company remained “determined to find an agreement”, but said it would consider any work stoppage to be “illegal”.

SSP meanwhile decried “pressures” exerted by the company, alleging that it has threatened to fire employees who strike, the news site reported.

Negotiations are continuing, with the union announcing on X Sunday morning that “the threats against the strikers have been withdrawn”.