Glasgow holidaymakers bound for Spain have been warned that Ryanair strikes could cause travel chaos until 2023.
Spanish cabin crew unions stressed to Ryanair passengers that Ryanair workers could stage walk-outs for four days out of every week through to next year. The industrial action follows disagreements over pay and working conditions.
A statement from the unions has revealed that the strikes will take place every week from Monday to Thursday, starting August 8 and finishing January 7. They demanded 22 days of holiday as well as two extra months payment each year.
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Ryanair staff disrupted travel at airports across Spain this month after staging walkouts on multiple days — primarily weekends. However, the impact on travellers was limited due to the country's regulations mandating that airlines and workers maintain a minimum amount of service.
Union chiefs claim in a statement that Ryanair "has not shown the slightest attempt to approach" unions, but instead "has publicly stated its refusal to engage in any dialogue", as reported by WalesOnline.
The statement added: "As the company has been unable to listen to the workers, we have been forced to call new strike days."
Union bosses also allege that 11 cabin workers in Spain had been fired during the recent strikes. And, according to data from airport operator Aena. Ryanair had accounted for 22.3 per cent of passengers through Spanish airports during the first half of the year.
Ryanair head Michael O’Leary stated that there was “a strong recovery” regarding passenger traffic and profits between April and June but warned that the firm's 'outlook is cautious'.
He said: “It’s very fragile, capable of being damaged at short notice. The challenge is whether it will continue into winter.
"The current performance is good, but the outlook is cautious. It is hugely dependent on there being no more adverse news flows.
“Operationally we’re doing well, but caution is the key word. When the schools go back we’ll be exposed to any negative news.
"It would be sensible to foresee some adverse developments on Covid and to watch out for adverse developments on Ukraine.”
In a statement, Ryanair said: "Ryanair has recently reached an agreement with the main Spanish CCOO union on pay, rosters and allowances for its Spanish cabin crew. Recent strikes by USO/SITCPLA have been poorly supported with minimal effect.
"Ryanair has operated over 45,000 flights to/from Spain over the last 3 months with less than 1% affected by crewing and Ryanair expects minimal (if any) disruption this winter."
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