Negotiations between Swissport and three unions over a new collective labour agreement for the ground-handling company’s staff at Zurich Airport have broken down. SEV-GATA, VPOD Luftverkehr and Kaufmännischer Verband Schweiz are preparing industrial action, potentially including a strike from January 2027 if no deal is reached. The current agreement, covering about 2,000 employees, expires at the end of 2026; no strike has been called or scheduled.
The unions are seeking pay rises totalling 7% over four years. Swissport offered 2.8% for about three-quarters of the workforce, while seeking greater flexibility in working hours, according to media reporting. The unions have criticised the proposed terms and said they remain open to resuming talks if the company makes an offer they consider fair.
The agreement was last renewed in 2022. Its expiry would end the current contractual framework for the workforce, leaving the prospect of labour action at Swissport’s Zurich ground-handling operation from January. The dispute concerns Swissport employees, not airport-wide ground staff.