Strike doesn't disrupt airport
Pickets early in the morning but no problems for passengers at Alicante
Business more or less as usual at AlicanteElche yesterday
PREWARNED cancellations of Ryanair flights to several UK destinations allowed for no major incidents at Alicante-Elche airport on Wednesday and yesterday (Thursday) when the company's cabin crew went on strike in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium.
With the exception of a picket by employees at the terminal early in the morning, it was business as usual.
The twoday strike action on Wednesday and Thursday by cabin crew was well supported, with 400 flights cancelled in Spain.
But at Alicante noone turned up to see their flights cancelled as those affected had been informed and were refunded or relocated to other flights
Early on Wednesday, Ryanair issued a statement claiming 'all 50,000 passengers affected by scheduled cancellations due to the strike had been relocated to other flights or reimbursed'.
The Spanish government imposed a minimum flight service, hence why some Ryanair routes still operated.
The ministry had a team of AESA inspectors at Alicante-Elche and other airports to ensure these terms were met.
Cabin crew speak out
CBN spoke with Ernesto Iglesias from the workers union USO, which is mediating between the workers and Ryanair.
We put to him the reports published in many UK papers that crew are earning €40,000 therefore the public are somewhat baffled as to why there is industrial action, to which he replied: “It is totally untrue.
"It is not solely the pay but conditions which workers are experiencing.
"By law, here in Spain companies must have insurance to cover for workplace accidents – Ryanair do not.
"Despite crew living and working here in Spain, they do not have a Spanish contract, meaning that they cannot get a mortgage or bank loan.
"Those that live and work in Spain for more than 180 days should by law pay their taxes here, but as they have an Irish contract the company contested this and workers pay in Ireland.
"The company is in the process of being taken to court as they emailed all staff asking if they were going on strike – this is totally illegal in Spain."
USO will be meeting with other European unions next week to debrief and seek a meeting with Ryanair.
They have not discounted further industrial action if necessary, but have to give both the company and Spanish government a minimum of 10 days’ notice.
Nationwide
On a national level several flights to and from Italy were cancelled at the last minute as aircraft were supposed to arrive from Italy, where no minimum services had been set, hence outgoing flights had to be cancelled.
The main incident occurred at Girona airport where 180 passengers on a flight to Pisa who were told their flight had not been affected by the strike found out they would be unable to fly only an hour before the scheduled takeoff.
One passenger on the flight said the company had no other flights to Italy over the next two days and the only alternative they were offered was a flight to Malta and a onenight stayover.
Passenger flights
The Spanish ministry of transport has reminded passengers that those affected by cancelled flights caused by the Ryanair cabin crew strike are entitled to compensation between €250 and €600, assistance and alternative transport to their final destination.
By law, delays of over two hours entitle passengers to assistance (phone calls, drinks, food, accommodation and transport to accommodation).
After three hours delay, passengers on flight covering up to 1,500km are entitled to €250 compensation, €400 if the distance is over 1,500km and €600 if is it over 3,000km.
If the delay is over five hours, in addition to the aforementioned compensation, the airline must reimburse the ticket cost.
If flights are cancelled while the passenger is on holiday, they are entitled to hotels and meals until the airline can get them home (to the airport of origin). If Ryanair has no flights on the intended day of travel or the next, it should buy a ticket on another airline if there is space available.
In the event of cancellations and under European law, Ryanair is obliged to reimburse the cost within seven days or relocate passengers of another flight to the same or nearby airport.
Meanwhile, consumer group FACUA reported Ryanair for setting up a premium rate ‘902’ number as its helpline for passengers affected by the strike.
A 10minute call with the highest mobile phone tariffs could cost over €6.
FACUA has called on the authorities to fine Ryanair for violating national and EU legislation to protect consumers, which require customer service lines to charge a ‘basic tariff ’ that cannot exceed ‘the cost of a standard landline or mobile phone call’
Ryanair strikes back
In a statement to London Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Ryanair announced it would be axing 300 jobs at its Dublin base (where pilots also carried out industrial action) and moving eight of its aircraft base there to other hubs.
The company claims the pilots’ strike has had a significant impact on its bookings and that aircraft will mainly be relocated to Poland it will be offering threatened Dublin staff the chance to relocate to Poland or other European hubs.
Earlier in the week, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary made a veiled threat by saying the company could consider reducing the number of winter flights and European hubs where unions are carrying out 'unnecessary strikes' that will cause 'loss of jobs'.