Update (Friday) - The handler's strike at the Henri Coanda International Airport, which should have taken place on Friday around noon, has been postponed after the court ruled that the protest was illegal.

The employees of GlobeGround Romania, the company that provides aircraft ground handling services and aircraft towing at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda Airport (Otopeni Airport), will go on warning strike for two hours on Friday, January 22. Thus, the planes taking off between 13:00 and 15:00 might register delays of up to two hours, reports local Agerpres.

The company’s employees decided to go on strike because there were unhappy with their salaries, the working hours, the size of the staff, and the activity’s standardization in relation to the volume and working conditions.

According to Alexandru Cioc, the leader of the Free Trade Union of Aeronautic Handling, the size of the staff and the activity’s standardization in relation to the volume and working conditions are the most pressing problems, given that between 100 and 150 employees have resigned in the last two years, but the workload remained the same, or even increased.

The working hours also represent a problem for the workers, as they no longer have time for recovery or family activities, according to the new union leader.

Thus, on Friday, January 22, the company employees will go on strike for two hours, between 13:00 and 15:00. “The people will be at work, nobody will leave, but they will stop their activities for two hours,” Cioc said. According to him, the unionists expect the company's management to call them to real negotiations to find ways to solve these problems.

GlobeGround Romania handles the plane movements within the Henri Coanda International Airport and the passenger transport from the terminal to where the planes are stationed. The company also carries and loads the passengers' baggage, does the defrosting of the planes during winter, and offers various other services within the airport.

GlobeGround Romania had a turnover of EUR 16.5 million and a net profit of EUR 2.3 million in 2014. The company had close to 800 employees that year. Data for 2015 is not available.

Air flight controllers in Romania to go on general strike next week

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com