Flights grounded at Geneva airport due to staff industrial action

Flights have been canceled at Geneva Airport (GVA) as its staff extended their industrial action in protest to a salary freeze.

The strike at the airport disrupted travel for thousands of passengers on Friday, fueling fresh concern that staff protests amid labor shortages may cause another summer of chaos in European cities, particularly Geneva, which is a hub for diplomats and officials traveling to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The strike grounded all flights between 6:00 am and 10 am, causing flight delays as well as outright cancellations affecting passengers at both arrivals and departures sections throughout the day, according to airport officials.

Police and security staff were posted in front of the terminal, stopping strikers from flooding inside.

The strike was called after the airport's board approved on Thursday a new wage policy that imposes a freeze on pay increases and is contested by airport staff.

About a hundred employees stood outside the departure area in the airport to protest against the airport's board of directors' newly-approved salary policy.

The Public Services Union, which rejected a proposal by the airport management that could have ended the strike, voted to continue striking for the remainder of Friday and to return to the picket line on Saturday.

A member of the trade union said it was difficult for everybody to understand how they got into this situation.

It is the first-ever strike by staff directly employed by the airport, as opposed to subcontractors, and according to Swiss Airlines includes air traffic controllers as well as those who guide planes along the tarmac.

"In Switzerland, strikes are very rare" as they may be called only after a process of consultations, said Claire Pellegrin, head of the airport staff commission.

"It's the last option that we never thought we'd get to," she added.

SS