State of emergency is extended until January 15th 2011 to care for Christmas holiday season in Spain.
This measure brought the air controllers under military law and threatened them for facing jail time if they deny returning to their jobs. Many of the controllers who went on strike will now face court charges that could lead to prison sentences. The Spanish parliament authorized the government's decision to extend a state of emergency to ensure that another air traffic controllers' strike will not affect air travel during the Christmas season.
The Spanish government had earlier declared the state of emergency on December 4 to force the controllers to return to work after they went on a wildcat strike, leaving more than 600,000 passengers stranded over 24 hours. The initial state of emergency was to remain in force until December 18, which will now be extended until January 15.
Parliament approved the state of emergency with the support of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialists and several smaller parties. Parliament extended the state of emergency regardless of promise by air controllers that they would not repeat their unofficial strike. The controllers' union USCA presented parliament with a document to that effect, signed by 90 per cent of Spain's 1,900 air controllers.
The air controllers strike was in protest at a government decision on new working hours for air controllers, who have for months been involved in a wage dispute with the Infrastructure Ministry.
