The walkout of around 1,000 airport employees over new pay conditions started at 4am on Friday and was initially due to end at 10am before being extended.
The threat of another day’s walkout on Saturday was averted after interventions by politicians of the canton of Geneva, which owns the airport.
The dispute over new pay terms was cooled by an agreement to put off the changes for a year, until 2025. In the meantime, a joint commission will thrash out the finer details of the new package.
All flights at Switzerland’s second-busiest airport were cancelled between 6am and 10am, affecting some 8,000 passengers. More flights were delayed or cancelled on Friday with managers and union leaders blaming each other.
“Of course it’s unfortunate but we ask passengers to direct their anger towards the airport management that is responsible for this mess,” Jamshid Pouranpir, union secretary of the Public Services Union VPOD, told the Reuters news agency.
But Pierre Bernheim, president of Geneva Airport, said the strike was unjustified, saying that pay and work conditions are excellent. “I’m sad because they are taking passengers, who may have saved money for a long time, hostage,” he said.
A total of around 54,000 passengers and 394 flights were expected take to the air before the work stoppage caused cancellations.
First airport strike
The walkout is the first strike by workers directly employed by the airport since it started operations in 1919, according to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
“The new wage system proposed by the airport’s management includes significant wage cuts. It no longer contains any guarantee for wage developments and opens the door wide to arbitrariness,” VPOD had previously stated.
Earlier this month Swiss International Air Lines warned of “unprecedented” strike disruption in other countries, such as Germany and Italy.
Geneva airport handled nearly 18 million passengers last year and 186,000 flight movements.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Heimatort, sweet Heimatort: the unique Swiss concept of home
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
French and Swiss armoured and artillery units will train together to strengthen the defence capabilities of the Swiss army.
Harmful substances in particulate matter underestimated: Swiss research
This content was published on
Measurements significantly underestimate the amount of harmful substances in particulate matter, says an international research team under Swiss leadership.
Switzerland reopens its humanitarian office in Kabul
This content was published on
Switzerland opened its humanitarian office in Kabul in mid-March to provide targeted aid to the Afghan population in distress.
This content was published on
From Wednesday, a Swiss passport will no longer be sufficient to enter the UK - Swiss travellers will also need an electronic travel authorisation.
This content was published on
A German security expert could imagine Swiss soldiers being part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire.
Leading Swiss politician favours closer EU defence ties
This content was published on
Co-president of Swiss centre-left Social Democratic Party calls on Switzerland to step up security cooperation in Europe.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
SWISS braced for strike action disruption to flights
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines has warned passengers to expect some delays and even cancellations in the face of strike action in other countries.
Air transport strikes in Germany leads to cancelled flights
This content was published on
SWISS is cancelling a number of flights between Switzerland and some German cities. Road and rail traffic is said to also be affected.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.