Swissport unions threaten strike at Zurich Airport

SEV-GATA says negotiations have broken down, putting a new collective agreement for Swissport ground staff at Zurich Airport in doubt. The union announced on Monday, November 2, 2026, that staff associations are prepared to take industrial action, including a strike, after Swissport Zurich rejected their demands for significant pay rises.

The current agreement is due to expire at the end of 2026. SEV-GATA says the associations remain open to further talks, provided Swissport comes forward with what the union calls a fair offer. For now, the threat of a walkout marks a sharp escalation in the dispute over pay and working conditions.

The announcement comes as the parties approach the agreement’s expiry. A strike is a possibility raised by the unions, not an action they say has already begun. Their stated position leaves room for negotiations, but puts the next move on Swissport: the unions say talks can continue if the company makes an acceptable proposal.

The unions are seeking significant pay rises, and say Swissport Zurich has refused to meet the staff associations’ demands. SEV-GATA described the company as unwilling to negotiate a “fair offer” on working conditions. That assessment is the union’s account of the dispute; the announcement reports no response from Swissport.

The associations say they are still willing to return to the negotiating table if Swissport presents an acceptable proposal. If it does not, they plan industrial action, which could include a strike. Their warning ties the prospect of disruption directly to the outcome of negotiations over the new agreement.

The disagreement concerns both pay and working conditions, although the union’s statement highlights wage increases as a central demand. The current collective agreement covers Swissport ground staff at Zurich Airport and is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The talks therefore concern the terms that will govern staff after that agreement ends. For the unions, a revised offer is the stated condition for keeping negotiations alive.

The agreement was last renewed in 2022, according to SEV-GATA. The union says employees made painful concessions at that time in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has brought that history into the current negotiations as staff associations seek significant pay rises and a new set of terms for Swissport ground staff at Zurich Airport.

The reference to the pandemic frames the union’s case for revising the agreement. SEV-GATA says employees accepted sacrifices during the previous renewal, while Swissport Zurich has declined to meet the associations’ current demands. The union has used that account to explain why it considers a fair offer necessary before talks can proceed.

The collective agreement’s expiry at the end of 2026 gives the negotiations a defined deadline. The associations have signalled that they remain ready to talk, while also warning that industrial action, including a strike, is possible if Swissport does not put forward an acceptable offer. The 2022 renewal is the last agreement point identified in the union’s account.

The current agreement expires at the end of 2026, and the unions say they will continue talks only if Swissport makes a fair offer. That leaves negotiations open, even as staff associations raise the prospect of a strike. Their announcement describes industrial action as a next step if the company does not meet their demands.

For Swissport ground staff at Zurich Airport, the negotiations concern the collective terms that will follow the agreement last renewed in 2022. The unions’ demand for significant pay rises sits alongside their criticism of the company’s position on working conditions. SEV-GATA says the associations are prepared to negotiate, but has also made clear that it considers the current response insufficient.

The immediate test is whether Swissport presents an offer the staff associations consider fair. Until then, the unions’ strike warning remains in place. Their stated position is conditional: they are open to talks, while keeping industrial action among the options if negotiations do not advance.