Zurich Airport faces disruption as Swissport ground staff threaten strike

Swissport ground staff at Zurich Airport (ZRH) are threatening to strike after collective bargaining agreement (CBA/GAV) negotiations broke down. Unions are demanding improvements to working conditions and pay. If talks continue to stall, then industrial action could disrupt winter travel in early 2027.

Swissport CBA talks collapse at Zurich Airport

The collective bargaining agreements of around 2.000 Swissport employees are set to expire at the end of the year. Negotiations to secure a new CBA have officially broken down, with staff reportedly “furious”, according to Blick.

Unions have been trying to negotiate with Swissport to secure better conditions and more pay for workers. According to a statement by the unions VPOD, SEV-GATA and the Commercial Association (kfmv), “Swissport are unwilling to negotiate” and “employees are fed up.”

If no agreement is made by the time contracts expire in December 2026, then Swissport employees may well go on strike in January 2027.

Unions demand better wages and working hours

Swissport employees are a key part of the daily operations at Zurich Airport, handling check-in, baggage handling and aircraft de-icing for major carriers like SWISS. Unions have been pushing for a 7 percent wage increase over four years, but recently Swissport has only offered a salary increase of 2,8 percent for around 75 percent of its employees in Zurich.

According to the unions, the company has also not kept pace with higher inflation and has introduced “irregular working hours, weekend shifts and rest periods of sometimes only eight hours.” In response, the unions believe that “even more flexibility coupled with very low wages is no longer acceptable for employees.”

Whether the strikes go ahead, and their potential impact on Zurich Airport during the peak winter ski season, depends on continued negotiations.