Thanks for all the nice comments, just glad to be of help - I know how infuriating it is when you need to get information especially when it involves holidays!!

From our swedish newspapers:

Madrid. Air traffic controllers' strike in Spain is postponed.

The Spanish air traffic controllers' union has decided not to charge its members on strike in August. A spokesman for the union Usca said on Tuesday that it made the decision to show his sense of responsibility. A strike in the middle of August would have caused chaos in the Spanish tourist season's peak. Both the Spanish government and the aviation industry association IATA had appealed to the air traffic controllers and employers Party Aena to do everything to avoid a conflict.

thankyou so much hippyjak and all who have been so helpful in ferreting out the information, the family can now relax and look forward to Costa Blanca on 18th

Yes! Im sure everybody in here will get a great vaccation. I have learned to be more vigilant before I book travel in the future. There will probably be quiet a few months now but it's worth keeping an eye on the progress of the negotiations if you wish to return to Spain next year or something .. oh, and by the way, there will be a huge general strike in Spain in late September,(29) worth mentioning! The world is worried!! Now goodbye everyone, have a perfect time in spain

"Talks with AENA broke down last week and tourism and airline officials have already complained that the uncertainty is hurting business as travellers cancel or delay their trips.

"We would have liked the decision to be definitive and not just for the month of August," said Juan Ignacio Lema, chairman of AENA, in a statement."

thanks so much for following this for us hippy, I'll sleep well tonight

The negotiations are to resume today at 17.00 hrs.

From what I can make out the union has said that it will not strike during August. On the understanding that they have to give 10 days notice of any strike action I am hoping that that means there will be no strikes, if any, until September 10th.

Hopefully they will resolve everything and there will be no strike at all.

Will keep my having a nose to see if any developments occur and will post anything of interest that I find.

That will be upto the 21st August, cos then Im off to Majorca!!

Hello everyone
Been glued to this for the past week... due to fly to Majorca on the 19th August...... just a bit confused why this hasnt been broadcasted on the UK news???

Thank u all for the update!!!!

Kelly x

why this hasnt been broadcasted on the UK news

choose from;

a: it isn't in the UK
b: the press release wasn't in English
c: they had no suitable pictures and it isn't a real story without pictures
d: all of the above!

But it is UK news... its going to effect 1000's of UK tourists who have spent their hard earned cash on a holiday!!
UK news is not very good

hippyjak wrote:

The negotiations are to resume today at 17.00 hrs.

From what I can make out the union has said that it will not strike during August. On the understanding that they have to give 10 days notice of any strike action I am hoping that that means there will be no strikes, if any, until September 10th.

Hopefully they will resolve everything and there will be no strike at all.

Will keep my having a nose to see if any developments occur and will post anything of interest that I find.

That will be upto the 21st August, cos then Im off to Majorca!! :tup

See this is what I was worried about! I'm so worried they'll strike for 3 days from 10th September now which will mess up our flight home

I'll fly home the 10th.. I think they do not dare to threaten a strike again!! And if they do, remember how long it took to even decide when/if they were going to have it? But you are not sure when they do not give any good answers.. only time can tell.

Fair point, I guess we will just have to keep our fingers crossed! Was in 2 minds as to whether to take the laptop on hol but think we will do for sure now so we can check for updates unless it's all sorted by the time we go!!

Let's hope it doesn't extend into September as I found the following statement a little bit worrying:

Union spokesman Cesar Cabo described the decision to cancel the strike as "an exercise in responsibility". An alternative September walk-out has not been ruled out.

Let's hope its all sorted out before then

I hope it gets sorted. We fly on the 3rd till 18th September. Our friends fly on out the 12th till 19th. With our holiday luck this last 2 years (we have had to cancel 3 for illness and deaths ) at least one of us will get caught up in it, if there is any strike action.

Early September is probably no danger, i hope...! they have a meeting right now, will check out for news..

"air traffic controllers are confident that this time negotiations with AENA, which resumed this afternoon after 17:00, is the "definitive." (elmundo.es)

steve8482 wrote:

why this hasnt been broadcasted on the UK news

choose from;

a: it isn't in the UK
b: the press release wasn't in English
c: they had no suitable pictures and it isn't a real story without pictures
d: all of the above!

IMO: None of the above.
The British press wouldn't want to be upsetting the Spanish Government and printing the true story behind all this because the ATC's might actually get a bit of sympathy and that wouldn't do....It's been a well orchestrated media campaign to get public opinion on the side of the Spanish government and the truth would scupper the plans for imposing a 5% pay cut across the board, and the privatisation and sell off of AENA.
Most people in the UK couldn't give a monkeys about the details and are only interested in whether their holiday will be ruined...which I can't blame them and I will be "pig sick" if I don't get away in September, but there's a lot that you haven't been told in all these posts and you've read a "one-sided" distorted version of the truth from the political biased Spanish press.

IMO: O'leary wants to keep his big mouth shut because if he got his way, he'd have pixies as ATC's working for the minimum wage, and he knows a lot about tearing up the collective bargaining powers/agreements that are enshrined in the Spanish Labour laws.? yeah right.!

Enjoy your holidays, but don't believe everything that you have read....these guys didn't threaten to go on strike for greed, it's far more complicated than just that.
Sanji

Don't know if anyone read this now, but here are the result of todays meeting - seems like the sky looks brighter!

(diariodemallorca.es)

"Negotiations between air traffic controllers and AENA in search of an agreement resumed on Wednesday with progress, as the two parties, who expect to close the negotiations "with haste" to end a conflict that has lasted more than five months"

"AENA said the meeting developed "absolutely normal" and progress was made in the discussion of the twelve-point proposal submitted by the drivers"

"Secretary of Communication of USCA, César Cabo, described as "constructive" talks and claimed to have "very positive feelings in the progress of negotiations" (YIHO!! )

sorry for bad translation, googles fault it goes in the right direction!