GENEVA, June 30 (Reuters) – Geneva Airport said it had reached a deal with public service staff to end a strike over pay which led to the cancellation of dozens of flights in and out of the Swiss hub on Friday.
About a hundred employees protested outside the airport’s departure area against a salary policy approved by the airport’s board that imposed a freeze on pay increases.
“An agreement was reached and the union accepted the management’s proposals,” Geneva Airport wrote on Twitter, adding: “Traffic will resume as expected Saturday.”
Geneva’s airport, which is a hub for diplomats and officials travelling to the United Nations, saw its air traffic halted for around four hours on Friday morning as a result of the strike.
Switzerland’s Public Services Union had pledged to return to the picket line on Saturday before the deal was struck.
“I’ve been standing since 8 a.m., my legs hurts,” said Geneva resident Malika Bennader, one of the passengers affected.
“I’m not going to complain, I have everything I need, but it’s serious,” Bennader said referring to the strike.
Jamshid Pouranpir, union secretary of the Public Services Union, said: “We ask passengers to direct their anger towards the airport management that is responsible for this mess.”
Prior to the agreement being reached, Pierre Bernheim, president of Geneva Airport, said the strike was unjustified.
“I’m sad because they are taking passengers, who may have saved money for a long time, hostage,” he said, describing the airport’s pay and working conditions as excellent.
Flight delays became apparent early on Friday as passengers formed large lines to check in and go through security. The striking workers include security and emergency staff.
“I understand they are defending their purchasing power, but they could have chosen another day,” Gilles Segret, a resident of the French city of Annecy, who was due to fly to Amsterdam, said.
Kent Normark, a Danish runner, was due to fly to Denmark for a 1,500-meter race on Saturday.
“I really hope to go back to Copenhagen,” he said.
Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Cécile Mantovani; Editing by Jane Merriman and Alexander Smith
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