The employees of Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport have signed an agreement with Royal Air Maroc putting an end to Baggage handler strikes.
Rabat – On July 2, RAM Handling (national airline Royal Air Maroc’s Baggage handling subsidiary), the Moroccan Workers Union (UMT), RAM Syndicate, and the Syndicate for Ground Operating Staff signed an agreement to increase salaries by 15%. RAM also agreed to pay a range of work benefits and to ensure a general improvement of working conditions at the airport.
The agreement, signed yesterday afternoon, will benefit 800 Baggage handlers and 324 other employees at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport.
Royal Air Maroc and its Baggage handling subcontractor, General Private Interim (GPI), have been butting heads since mid-April over contract terms, each accusing the other of not respecting its obligations.
Read also: RAM Luggage Handlers’ Strike Causes Chaos at Mohammed V Airport
GPI accuses the airline of imposing additional work on Baggage handlers without fair remuneration. Baggage handlers went on strike multiple times demanding a pay rise to reflect what they felt was an increased workload. RAM accuses GPI of breaching its contract by intentionally slowing down its baggage handling services.
This caused flight and baggage handling delays, most recently on June 21.
Earlier in June, angry passengers bound for the US were left without their baggage for days. Angry at how RAM handled the lost baggage claims, passengers turned to Twitter to express their frustration, creating a live-stream of complaints about the airline’s service.
RAM denied all responsibility for the delays, shifting blame onto GPI. But client-facing RAM’s reputation was at stake.
GPI was not a signatory to yesterday’s agreement. GPI’s baggage handling contract with RAM Handling comes to an end in September, at which time RAM will make a new call for offers for the contract.
