They thank an airport worker in Palma for requesting the resident discount
UGT denounces that a dozen aggressions to workers of the airports of the Balearic Islands have already been registered during the last year and demands more effective prevention protocols
PalmaA Palma airport worker is on sick leave after being assaulted by a passenger who had informed her that she could not properly prove the resident discount. According to the Federation of Mobility and Consumer Services of UGT Balearic Islands, the passenger hit the worker with a mobile phone on the head, in the ear and shoulder area.
The incident occurred last Friday at Son Sant Joan airport. The victim is a supervisor for an airline and a UGT affiliate, and at that time she was attending to the passenger. The union has publicly denounced the assault and has warned of the increase in cases of violence against airport workers in the Balearic Islands. With this new episode, UGT has already recorded a dozen assaults in the last year.
The organization considers this situation "intolerable" and warns that aggressions are no longer occurring solely in conflicts related to baggage payment or boarding problems. "Any incident, any rule that must be applied, or any situation that generates frustration in a passenger can become an excuse to insult, threaten, or even assault," UGT pointed out.
"Working at airports is becoming a risky activity"
Faced with the increase in these episodes, the union demands the application of "real preventive measures and effective prevention protocols", as well as a "forceful response to any aggression". UGT considers that companies, Aena and the competent administrations cannot continue to treat these cases as if they were isolated incidents. "Working at airports is becoming a risky activity", warned the union, which demands the protection of workers who perform face-to-face public service.
The organization also wanted to emphasize that workers who serve passengers are not responsible for fares or ticket conditions, nor for resident discounts or the rules that travelers must comply with. "Workers are not responsible for fares, ticket conditions, resident discounts, or the rules that passengers must abide by", UGT recalled.