With Ryanair cabin crew unions in Britain, Ireland and Portugal having already announced plans to strike over the coming weeks, Spanish workers’ unions, SITCPLA and USO, are backing cabin crews’ intentions to hold ten days of strikes on September 1, 2, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 and 28, unless Ryanair makes suitable concessions over the next few days.
Unlike other grievances which relate to pay and conditions, the Spanish strikes are in protest at the planned closure of Ryanair bases at Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Girona airports. SITCPLA spokesman Manuel Lodeiro commented that the unions were open to mediation by Spanish labor agency SIMA, but pessimistically declared: “we doubt very much the willingness of Ryanair to reach an agreement.”
Spanish pilots are also due to vote on industrial action over pay and conditions. Further unrest at Ryanair has been created by the announcement two weeks ago that owing to problems with the grounding of the 737 MAX jet and subsequent delays in deliveries of the jet, the Irish low-cost carrier would have 900 pilots and crew surplus to requirements at the end of the summer holiday season.