Ryanair Crew Across Europe Could Go On Strike This Summer
The continent’s largest low-cost carrier walked away from talks with two Spanish unions.
The summer travel season is about to get even more chaotic than ever, as industrial disputes continue to threaten airlines’ operations in Europe. Ryanair’s cabin crew may go on strike soon, in not just one but several European countries, after the low-cost carrier walked away from talks with two Spanish unions. This has prompted the unions to call the cabin crew to take action.
Not paid enough
Unlike most European airlines, Ryanair does not explicitly provide bottled water for its cabin crew. The situation is made worse as there are rarely any opportunities for cabin crew to fill reusable bottles after passing through security, given Ryanair’s limited turn-around time.
A Ryanair cabin crew member might be only able to refill their reusable bottle once and then be unable to supply or buy another bottle for the rest of their workday, which can last up to 12 hours. The lack of primary offerings to its cabin crew is something that has angered the Spanish USO union, which previously commented:
“The unions denounce the irregularities committed by Ryanair in the management of its personnel and the attacks on the rights of its workers such as the fact that the cabin crew continues to work without access to water onboard the plane.”
There is an option for the Ryanair cabin crew to pay for bottled water from the onboard shop if they are genuinely thirsty. However, the low-cost carrier charges a hefty €3 ($3.21) for a 500ml bottle of San Benedetto water. This issue further clashes with another conflict the cabin crew has been having with Ryanair – that they are not paid nearly enough and do not have local support from human resources.
Unable to settle amicably
However, talks with the unions have ended up fruitless. The unions have stated that Ryanair is still choosing not to revise the minimum salary agreement and arbitrary wage cuts. This is alongside the carrier’s alleged refusal to grant its cabin crew the minimum annual leave over the summer and the lack of primary offerings. Matters were made worse when Ryanair walked away from the talking table due to the unions’ continuous strike threats and relatively unfeasible demands. The proposals made by Spanish unions SITCPLA and USO included a nearly 167% pay increase, while Ryanair is still announcing significant losses, and recovery from the pandemic is only just beginning.
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