Workers at Palma Airport have been without a canteen since March. The old one was demolished as part of the work being carried out at the airport, and a new one should have opened by now. It hasn't.
Previously, workers paid around 12 euros for a meal (including dessert and water). They currently have to pay the same prices as passengers. In June, the UGT union reported that some employees were being fined for leaving the premises in order to pay less.
Marcos Fernández, secretary of the Eurowings works council, says: "It costs us money to work. Most workers earn between 1,300 and 1,400 euros a month, and our salaries aren't enough to cover a meal at tourist prices." With the new canteen not having opened, the grand opening of the McDonald's, the largest in Europe, felt like something of an insult.
The AENA airports authority has twice put management of the canteen out to tender. The second of these included improvements to make the concession more attractive, but it wasn't successful.
"We improved the tender conditions to make it more attractive, after the successful bidder was unable to start the service due to having to assume the significant debt left by the previous operator, who occupied the facilities without a contract for almost three years and left a significant debt."
The second tender was declared void. AENA regrets the situation and the inconvenience, noting that workers have been offered "alternative catering options". The airports authority doesn't know when another tender will be announced. Fernández rubbishes these alternative options. "Paying for a meal at retail prices is robbery."
Eurowings have a break area with a microwave, refrigerator, and coffee machines, but workers complain that with shifts that start at 6am, they don't have time to prepare food before arriving. "It's true that we have a room where you can have coffee and heat up a lunch. Most people bring something packed if they start at 6am on a split shift. But what time do you have to get up to prepare lunch? It's not feasible."