STRIKE SET TO HIT EASTER FLIGHTS

RYANAIR staff at Alicante-Elche airport have called a four-day strike, which is due to start tomorrow (Friday).

Workers’ representative Carlos Iborra said that 60% of the 230 employees are on part-time contracts – and are owed more than €1,000 each.

He said that unless the dispute is resolved, then only a minimum service will be offered in the airport until midnight on Monday.

However, Sr Iborra said he believed that it was very difficult for an agreement to be reached before Friday. He noted that services for Ryanair flights in Alicante are carried out by the company Lesma.

Meetings with representatives of both companies over the workers’ grievances ended with ‘a resounding no’. “They failed to bring a single proposal to the table,” he said. Sr Iborra said workers had been forced into this action by the stonewalling. He lamented that all Ryanair flights would be affected, ‘although we will have to see what minimum services the government sets’.

“All 230 employees of Lesma and Ryanair gave their backing to this action,” he said.

As well as the bonuses which he said were owed to workers, they had asked the companies to establish a working calendar and follow government guidelines on overtime, amongst other grievances.

“While the companies are making big profits, they oblige the staff to continually fight to maintain their terms and conditions,” stated Sr Iborra.