EasyJet’s Spain-based cabin crew plan nine days of strikes in July

theguardian.com:

EasyJet cabin crew unions in Spain have called nine days of strikes in July, threatening to add to a summer of disruption for airline passengers.

News of the planned walkout by the Spanish USO union came the day after easyJet announced it would be cutting an estimated 11,000 flights from its summer schedules, partly in response to caps announced at its bases at London Gatwick and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

The union is looking for a 40% pay rise in low-paid cabin staff’s basic wage. The strikes, three 72-hour stoppages at fortnightly intervals from 1 July, wouldmean hundreds of crew stop work at easyJet’s bases in Barcelona, Málaga and Palma.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed with this action as we have made considerable progress towards a new collective labour agreement and so would like to continue a constructive dialogue with them.

“Should the industrial action go ahead there could be some disruption to our flying programme to and from Málaga, Palma and Barcelona during the strike period but at this stage, easyJet plans to operate its full schedule and we would like to reassure customers that we will do everything possible to minimise any disruption.”

The union said it remained open to talks. USO members working as crew for Ryanair have also voted to strike and plan two three-day stoppages in the coming weeks.

The Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said passengers should expect wider disruption to persist through peak season, because of shortages of airport staff across air traffic control, baggage handling and security.

He told Sky News: “This problem is going to continue particularly at airports like Gatwick and Heathrow right throughout the summer. It will be worse at weekends and