Ryanair crew in Spain calls 6-day strike for start of summer holidays

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Unhappy with working conditions and pay, two Spanish unions representing Ryanair cabin crew called a six-day strike on Monday that is set to begin on June 24.

The looming strike could come as another headache for travelers in Europe, as some airports struggle to cope with a surge in post-pandemic demand for flights.

The six-day walkout was called by the USO and SITCPLA unions and is directed at as many as 1,400 employees.

“We didn’t want to get to this point, but Ryanair forced this strike. We have to mobilize to make the reality of our situations known and to make the company comply with basic labor laws,” said Lidia Arasanz of USO in a press conference.

Arasanz said Ryanair is the only international airline in Spain that does not offer a collective bargaining agreement.

The Spanish unions added that they are coordinating with workers in Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal to organize a continent-wide strike if the company does not negotiate.

Ryanair, meanwhile, downplayed the strike’s impact, insisting that the company has successfully negotiated a deal with another Spanish union.

“In recent months we have been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the COVID-19 recovery phase. Those negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer,” a spokesperson told the Guardian.

In 2021, Ryanair was the leading airline in Spain in terms of passenger numbers, according to Statista.