EasyJet’s Spain-Based Pilots To Strike For 9 Days In August
Spain News
Published: 29 July 2022 17:51 CET
It has been announced today by the SEPLA Union, that easyJet pilots who are based in Spain will strike for nine days during August.
The strike is being held to demand the re-establishment of pilot's working conditions from the pre-Covid days, as well as being provided with a new multi-year contract deal.
The low-budget airline has said it is aware of the upcoming pilot strikes that will take place at its bases in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
A statement from the company reads "We are disappointed with this action at this critical time for the industry," adding that negotiations with SEPLA are ongoing.
Visitors to Spain have been plagued by disruption over the last few months, with Covid restrictions, long queues at airports, strikes by both easyJet and Ryanair cabin crew and now to add to their misery, a strike by the pilots.
The strikes are due to take place in the form of three 72-hour walkouts on August 12, 13 and 14 and then again on 19, 20 and 21, with the final ones happening on 27, 28 and 29.
The news of these strikes comes after union USO announced yesterday that this weekend's planned strikes by Spain-based easyJet cabin crew, have been cancelled.
The trade union stated that the airline has agreed to implement a 22 per cent increase in salaries over the next three years, as well as guarantee improved working conditions for its workers.
The agreement means that from March this year, a 4 per cent salary increase will be applied retroactively. In 2023 this will increase to 13 per cent and 5 per cent in 2024. From January 1 2023, cabin crew will also receive special compensation for working on their scheduled days off.
The general secretary of the USO union for easyJet, Miguel Galán, said that although the agreement "was not exactly what we were demanding," it does represent an “important” shift towards the working conditions of airline crew across Europe.
“Independently we continue with the negotiations of the agreement in all sections that are not of an economic nature with the aim of improving our working conditions,” he concluded.
It’s a shame the same can’t be said for the Ryanair dispute, which after a vote by flight attendants, will continue until January.
The unions supporting Ryanair staff feel they have been left with no alternative but to extend their strike action, as the low-budget airline is flatly refusing to enter into any pay negotiations.
From August 8, these strikes will be held each week between Monday and Thursday.
Source
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/spanish-based-easyjet-pilots-go-strike-nine-days-august-2022-07-29/
https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/07/29/final-three-days-of-easyjet-strikes-in-spain-called-off-by-the-unions/
https://murciatoday.com/easyjet_cabin_crew_in_spain_call_off_strike_1807440-a.html
