easyJet pilots in Spain begin the first of three strike periods called for August

The Spanish Airline Pilots Union (Sindicato Español de Pilotos de Líneas Aéreas – SEPLA)  began today, August 12th, the first of three 72-hour strike periods called for August. The measure will run until next Sunday, while other days of protest will take place on 19, 20, 21, 27, 28 and 29 this month.

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According to the union section that brings together the pilots of the low-cost airline based in Spain, the measure will be carried out «due to the company’s refusal to recover the conditions that the pilots had before the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to negotiate the second collective bargaining agreement».

«This is the only possible alternative for the pilots’ representatives, after more than six months of refusal on the part of the company, which has rejected the three social proposals presented», the union said in an official statement.

Union spokesmen stressed that the strike «is always the last possible resort» and said that the biggest victims of the situation «are the passengers», to whom they apologised. «During the worst months of the pandemic, we agreed to lower our salaries to guarantee not only jobs, but the survival of the company itself in Spain», they said.

SEPLA cited the subsequent increase in the number of planes and pilots at the Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca bases, and the opening of a new hub in Málaga, as triggers for the situation. In that sense, they argue that the volume of operations is currently similar to that of 2019 but that, nevertheless, the company «refuses to recover the working conditions».

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Minimum services

The Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda established mandatory minimum services to be respected during the easyJet Spanish pilots’ strike. They will have to operate 57% of flights to and from Palma de Mallorca (PMI), 60% in Málaga (AGP) and 61% in Barcelona (BCN) and Menorca-Mahón (MAH).

According to the planned schedule, all flights scheduled for the strike days are international. The airline will have to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the required minimum service percentage.

See also: easyJet pilots in Spain are called to nine days of strike during August