- STRIKE ALERT – We’re all going on a summer holiday – or are we?
Ryanair staff are set to go on strike from 12 to 15 July, 18 to 21 July and 25 to 28 July across ten Spanish airports.
Ryanair bases at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Malaga are likely to be affected by action. It is not yet known how the disruption will affect Alicante-Elche airport or Corvera.
Cabin crew have announced 12 new strike dates for July in Spain after strikes in June and early July.
The USO union asked the Spanish Government to mediate and called on all Spanish Ryanair workers to support the strike. Strikes in June caused over 1,000 delays in Spain.
The strikes have also been affected after strike action with easyJet.
Ryanair had 10 cancellations in Spain on July 2 and 123 delays affecting routes from London and Glasgow.
easyJet has also been impacted by strike action with some London flights affected by cancellations.
easyJet staff are due to take strikes in Spain on July 15, 16, 17, 29, 30 and 31.
The strikes are announced at a time when British holidaymakers’ plan to fly to Spain amid UK school holidays.
Unions have called for easyJet flight attendants from Spanish bases to strike for nine days in July over a pay rise.
easyJet’s Spanish union USO has reportedly been holding talks on crew pay since February. The union said talks are now in a deadlock.
Cabin crew based in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca will walk out from July 1 to July 3, from July 15 to July 17 and from July 29 to July 31, according to the union.
The union general secretary for easyJet Malaga, Miguel Galan, said flight attendants are asking for a 40% increase in their basic salary.
easyJet cabin crew based in Spain get a basic salary of €950 per month (£816), according to the union.
“The company underestimated the outlook, was more pessimistic and conservative and is not ready for the demand which generates a domino effect on us,” said Galan.
easyJet said it had been advised of strike action by its cabin crew based in Spain between July 1-3, July 15-17, and July 29-31 at its bases in Barcelona, Malaga, and Palma. “We are extremely disappointed with this action as we have made considerable progress towards a new CLA and so would like to continue the constructive dialogue with them.
“Should the industrial action go ahead there could be some disruption to our flying programme to and from Malaga, Palma and Barcelona during the strike period but at this stage, easyJet plans to operate its full schedule and we would like to reassure customers that we will do everything possible to minimise any disruption,” said a statement.
Main unions of Ryanair’s cabin crew took strike action on June 24, June 25, June 26, June 30, July 1 and July 2.
The strike took place because Ryanair staff are reportedly unhappy with their working conditions and pay.
“Ryanair has negotiated collective agreements covering 90 percent of our people across Europe.
“In recent months we have been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the Covid recovery phase. Those negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer.
“In Spain, we are pleased to have reached a collective agreement with CCOO, Spain’s largest and most representative union, delivering improvements for Spanish-based cabin crew and reinforcing Ryanair’s commitment to the welfare of its cabin crew.
“Recent announcements by the much smaller USO and SITCPLA unions are a distraction from their own failures to deliver agreements after three years of negotiations and we believe that their strike calls will not be supported by our Spanish crews,” said a statement.
