Government agrees to proceed with binding arbitration to resolve employment dispute in El Prat

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Minister for Public Works, Íñigo de la Serna, announced the agreement by the Council of Ministers to proceed with binding arbitration as a means to resolve the strike announced by Eulen Seguridad at Barcelona-El Prat Airport after the mediation process launched by the Regional Government of Catalonia failed and no other legal steps were taken to deal with the situation.

The minister explained that the trade unions and employers' association will need to mutually agree on the appointment of an arbitrator within 24 hours of receiving notification of this agreement. In the event that no agreement is reached within this period, the arbitrator will be appointed by the Ministry of Public Works within the following 24 hours.

In order to guarantee the impartial nature of the arbitrator, the ministry will first submit the name of the person to be appointed to the parties and they will be able to submit any pleas deemed appropriate to clarify the relationship of impartiality within said 24-hour period.

The minister went on to explain that the decision reached by the arbitrator "will need to be resolved fairly within 10 days from the date on which the arbitrator is appointed". This agreement will be notified to the strike committee and Eulen at Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

EFE/Fernando AlvaradoÍñigo de la Serna stressed that the agreement is "exceptional" and specifically applies to this case and certain highly specific circumstances. Furthermore, he added that "the Government of Spain is firmly stepping into a dispute that is generating a significant problem for the economy, the Spanish people, the tourists who visit us and the image of this country - and is only stepping in because mediation has failed - and with sufficient speed to reach decisions that will enable the airport to return to normal and establish a channel for the definitive resolution of this conflict".

The minister said that this is a legal procedure that has precedents in Spain used in similar circumstances. The Government of Spain believes that "the conflict must end as soon as binding conditions are established for the parties".

Proposals from the trade unions

Íñigo de la Serna said that, following a debate on the situation at El Prat, an informal decision was reached for the Government of Spain to study the proposals made by the trade unions - UGT and Comisiones Obreras, in particular - for establishing a global framework of a national nature to set conditions relating to work on airport systems and other private security services.

The minister added that the Government of Spain "agrees" with the suggestion to set up a working group with the trade unions in order to discuss conditions in the private security sector relating to training, service quality, productivity and employment and salary conditions. Nonetheless, he clarified that this working group will not replace the sector negotiation board set up between the parties.

Current affairs

In response to questions from the press on what the Government of Spain's reaction will be to the Regional Government of Catalonia's intention to hold a consultation on sovereignty, the Minister for Education, Culture and Sport and Government Spokesperson, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, said that the referendum "is illegal and will not take place". He added that the Council of Ministers has foreseen and considered all the scenarios for defending democracy, national sovereignty and equality for all citizens within the scope of the Spanish Constitution and the rule of law, and will take "firm and proportional" action.

Íñigo Méndez de Vigo believes that the Board of the Regional Parliament of Catalonia intends for this consultation on sovereignty to take place without being officially called, without an electoral roll, without ballot boxes, without international support, without civil servants, without a budget and, based on today's events, without a schedule given that the Board has postponed leave for the referendum bill to commence its passage through the regional parliament.

Non official translation