Ryanair strike
Cabin crew walkout spells more misery for holidaymakers
HOLIDAYMAKERS are facing more summer travel misery after ryanair’s spanish cabin crew voted to strike.
Unions announced industrial action over six days in June and July.
Cabin crews are due to strike for three days from June 24, then on June 30 and July 1 and 2.
Two Spanish unions say staff are unhappy with working conditions and pay.
Lidia Arasanz, of the USO union, said: “We have to resume mobilisation so that the reality of our situation is known and Ryanair is forced to abide by basic labour laws.”
The walkout threatens to impact the budget airline’s recovery after the pandemic and cause disruption for passengers looking forward to summer holidays. It follows weeks of travel chaos elsewhere that have been caused by staff shortages at airlines and airports, with Ryanair rival easyJet among the worst hit.
The looming strikes come ahead of a possible summer of discontent as workers across a host of sectors demand higher pay to combat the cost of living crisis. Staff at Ryanair have walked out in other European countries such as Belgium and Italy.
Ryanair’s operations from Stansted could also be impacted after ground handling staff employed by another firm recently rejected a pay offer.
In response to the Spanish strike, the airline said: “Ryanair has negotiated collective agreements covering 90% of our people across Europe.
“In recent months we’ve been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the Covid recovery phase. The negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer. In Spain,
QUeUeS Crowds at Bristol 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. “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 their strike calls will not be supported by our Spanish crews.” Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned last month fares will rise for summer due to soaring demand.