More travel woes as easyjet staff in Spain vote for action

HOLIDAYMAKERS are facing a fresh wave of misery after easyjet staff in Spain voted in favour of a nine-day strike and Ryanair crew on the Continent vowed to launch industrial action.

Easyjet’s Spanish-based cabin crew plan to walk out on July 1-3, 15-17, and 29-31, according to the local union representing easyjet’s employees.

As many as 450 staff at Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca airports could take part in the strike, creating further chaos for holidaymakers.

Damien Mourgues, a representative of the SNPNC trade union at Ryanair in France, said the airline doesn’t respect rest-time laws and is calling for a pay rise for cabin crew on minimum wage. Workers will go on strike on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, trade unions in Spain have urged Ryanair cabin crews to strike from June 24 to July 2 to secure their “fundamental labour rights” and “decent work conditions for all staff ”.

Ryanair staff in Portugal plan to strike from Friday to Sunday to protest work conditions, as do employees in Belgium.

Easyjet warned that the fresh industrial action could cause more “disruption” to travel.

The strikes were triggered after talks between easyjet and USO, the Spanish union representing cabin crew, ground to a halt, USO said.

The union is demanding a 40 per cent rise in salaries, arguing it would bring pay for Spanish easyjet staff into line with other countries in Europe.

A spokesman for easyjet said: “We are extremely disappointed with this action as we have made considerable progress towards a new [collective labour agreement] and so would like to continue the constructive dialogue.”