Ben Pawlowski
DOZENS of flights have been cancelled across Spain today as EasyJet cabin crew began a three-day strike.
Over 650 workers belonging to the USO trade union have joined the walkout, which aims to highlight the discrepancy between the salaries paid to Spanish cabin crew members and staff from other European countries.
The strike has impacted EasyJet’s four Spanish bases – Barcelona (143 workers), Alicante (106), Malaga (127) and Palma de Mallorca (281) – and will last until Friday.
In Malaga, flights to Geneva, Manchester and Zurich were cancelled, while in Barcelona flights to Basel, London, Manchester and Berlin were also culled.
Nine flights were cancelled in Palma de Mallorca, provoking further chaos after a portion of the airport’s roof collapsed yesterday.
According to the USO, the basic salary of Spanish cabin crew at EasyJet is €14,067, significantly lower than the €18,214 staff are paid in Portugal, €19,086 in Italy, or €27,147 in the Netherlands.
The USO’s Malaga president, Miguel Galan, told the press: “The situation is especially aggravated if we consider that EasyJet’s bases in Spain are in four of the most expensive cities to rent or buy housing, not to mention the severe crisis in the real estate sector with ever higher prices, and the scarce supply of rentals.”
Striking cabin crew are asking for their salary to match that of peers in Portugal and Italy.
Holidaymakers impacted by the strikes will be entitled to compensation.
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