British tourists flying to Spain this summer could be affected by strike action from cabin crew. Ryanair’s Spanish cabin staff will be on strike for six days later this month and in early July, main unions said on Monday.
The walkout from June 24 to July 2 follows concerns about working conditions and pay, the USO union said. UK Ryanair staff have not announced a strike, but the industrial action could impact people flying from Britain to Spanish destinations this summer, MirrorOnline reports.
Last week labour organisations including SITCPLA and USO demand improvements to pay and conditions, claiming they have “no other option” but to walk out if it is not given. The move comes after Ryanair walked away from talks with USO and SITCPLA on Tuesday, Bloomberg reports.
Last week a spokesperson for the latter union said: “We’re coordinating our actions with European counterparts.” USO and STCPLA said in a joint statement that Ryanair lacked commitment to dialogue and accused the airline of acting in bad faith.
Negotiations on a collective agreement made “almost made no progress” due to the unions’ “unrealistic demands and refusal to meaningfully engage,” a letter from Ryanair said following the failed talks.
A spokesperson for Ryanair told The Mirror last week: “Ryanair has negotiated collective agreements covering 90% of our people across Europe. In recent months we have been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the Covid recovery phase.
“Those negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer.
“In Spain, 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 and reinforcing Ryanair’s commitment to the welfare of its cabin crew.
“These 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 that any strikes they call will not be supported by our Spanish crews.”
Ryanair has been contacted for further comment.