EasyJet’s cabin crew will begin a three-day strike across Spain tomorrow in a dispute over pay.
From Wednesday June 25, more than 650 flight attendants, including nearly half based in Palma de Mallorca, will walk out in a bid to force the airline to match salaries with those at other European hubs.
The USO union, which called the strike, said Spanish workers are still scraping by on wages hovering around the minimum salary threshold – with a stark gap of up to 200% compared to staff in other countries.
The union says EasyJet has been dragging its heels in negotiating the Third Collective Bargaining Agreement, offering packages that are ‘completely out of touch’ with the cost-of-living crisis gripping Spain’s tourism hubs.
The epicentre of the disruption is Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma de Mallorca, where 27 to 28 flights per day are now at risk of delays or cancellations between Wednesday and Friday.
Nine aircraft based at Palma will be affected, with routes stretching across Europe’s holiday map: from London Gatwick and Paris Charles de Gaulle, to Naples, Athens, and Edinburgh.
Other affected airports include Barcelona, Alicante, and Malaga, with ripple effects expected throughout the network.
In a sharply worded statement, EasyJet said it was ‘disappointed’ by the strike ‘at such a critical time of year,’ when passengers are ‘looking forward to holidays or reuniting with family and friends.’
Led by Southern Europe boss Javier Gandara, EasyJet says it will do ‘everything possible’ to minimise disruption, noting that only flights operated by planes based in Spain will be hit. International legs should run as scheduled.
If no agreement is reached, union sources hint more walkouts could follow in July, when the summer travel season hits boiling point.
With the cost of rent in Palma skyrocketing, cabin crew say they simply can’t afford to live near the airports they serve – and many are forced to share cramped flats or commute long distances just to earn a salary.
Travellers with flights booked from Palma, Malaga, Alicante or Barcelona between June 25 and 27 are advised to double-check their departure times, stay in contact with the airline, and brace for possible delays.
