Aena calls off Spanish Airport strikes
Friday, February 13th, 2015
Aena calls off Spanish Airport strikes
This Wednesday was to be the start of 27 days of protest against privatization. The 27 day strike in AENA was called off after the unions got an agreement to guarantee no loss of jobs and the introduction of the previously agreed collective wage agreement.
They still did continue to hold a demonstration outside the Madrid Stock Exchange in protest at the partial privatization which was launched on Wednesday.
Palma Airport to install cameras to control illegal transport
From March or April this year Palma Airport is expected to install vehicle surveillance cameras to record and detect illegal transportation.
With these cameras they will create a database that will store the registration plates of all vehicles entering and leaving the airport in order to monitor daily frequency and thus prevent illegal transportation.
This is one of the measures announced by Biel Company the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Territory, following a meeting with the Balearic Transport Council to analyze the infringement of illegal vehicles in the transport sector for the islands.
Company indicated that it is a “concern” to the administration and is very difficult to control. It’s not enough to stop the vehicle in question but it’s necessary to catch the driver while charging the passengers.
Besides in many cases the driver colludes with passengers to claim to be family or friends. Additionally, he explained that it’s a problem with different characteristics between the Balearic islands.
Salvador Servera the manager of the Balearic transport industry federation elucidated. In Mallorca the problem is mainly focused on Palma airport, but in Ibiza it’s more “evenly spread” and affects many areas of the transport sector. That being from occasional unauthorized public transport to merchandise transport, making it more difficult to police.
If the problem was centered in one area, as happens in Mallorca, it would be easier devote all our effort to this, clarified Company.
Given these difficulties the minister and representatives of the transport sector have stressed the need for coordination between the bodies involved, management and law enforcement.
In this regard, Servera said they would also have to engage other agencies, such as labor inspection, the Tax Office and/or Aena.
They also insisted that the Council of Ibiza, which has scope over transport and has halted about 290 vehicles, focus on this issue so those who are the worst offenders and are often one step ahead may be stopped.
On the other hand, Servera highlighted that illegal transport not only affects the transport industry but also the passengers which ride in the unregulated vehicles that are not bound by security conditions as regulated vehicles are.
During the meeting transport industry representatives agreed to establish two committees to combat the problem in two modes of transport, one for vehicles with less than nine passengers and one for intermittent and frequent transport.
In addition, Company has ensured that the Government will take all measures permitted by law to defend the established systems of “fair competition” in the transport industry.
