Ryanair’s cabin crew unions have announced a strike, to be held on June 24, 25, 26, and 30, and on July 1 and 2. According to USO and SITCPLA, the unions of the European low-cost airline’s flight attendants, the decision was taken due to the company walking out of the negotiations of the first collective agreement. The measures will be carried out during the 24 hours of the announced days and include the ten bases Ryanair has in Spain.
In this regard, Lidia Arasanz, general secretary of USO, said «Ryanair crew members continue to be third-tier workers and our rights are still not respected. The company has forced this strike and we have to return to striking for the reality of our situation to be known and to force Ryanair to comply with basic labor rights, with court rulings, and to achieve decent working conditions. Ryanair is the only international company in our country without a collective bargaining agreement».
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According to USO, the aim of the strike is to get Ryanair to resume negotiations on the collective agreement for the Spain-based TCPs, which had been underway for 8 months.
Manuel Lodeiro, vice-president of SITCPLA, added that «Ryanair has left the table after announcing possible mobilizations in Spain and other countries in the face of its non-compliance with labor rights. This is after signing an agreement with CCOO -not very well accepted among the company’s flight personnel- with working conditions already achieved previously».
According to the unions, the aforementioned agreement with CCOO -another union- legitimizes the precarious working conditions to which the Flight Attendants are subjected. They also add that CCOO is not legitimized to negotiate on behalf of the workers, since, although it is the biggest union in many sectors, it is not among Ryanair flight personnel. According to USO and SITCPLA, by negotiating with CCOO, Ryanair «has sought to nullify them as unions» due to their refusal to sign onto the conditions offered.
