Jetsetters won’t have to cross the picket line to go on holiday, but strike action elsewhere could mean a difficult getaway for some holidaymakers.
Disgruntled easyJet staff in Spain will be downing tools across two more weekends in July, with travellers who are heading to popular tourist destinations being urged to check whether their flight is still leaving as planned.
The warning follows a difficult summer for those looking to escape the country via the UK’s airports.
There have been lengthy queues to clear security and waiting lounges have doubled up as dormitories, with passengers forced to bunker down during lengthy flight delays and cancellations.
When are easyJet staff striking?
Cabin crew working for easyJet in Spain have agreed to strike for nine days, including across the weekends of July 15-17 and 29-31.
Spanish union USO said 450 flight attendants are protesting against the delay to fresh negotiations regarding their working agreement.
EasyJet said it could not rule out flights being disrupted during the industrial action.
Which flights are affected by the easyJet strike?
The striking easyJet staff are based in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca - all hot spots for British tourists.
The UK-owned low-cost airline said it is planning to fly a normal programme to all three destinations over the affected weekends and will strive to keep disruption to a minimum.
However, it is advising customers to confirm the status of their flight on the carrier’s website in case their journey is potentially delayed or even cancelled as a result of the walkout.
Spanish crews in the locations have already refused to work over the first weekend in July which, according to analysts, had a knock-on effect for Brits looking for some time in the continental sun.
According to aviation news network FL360aero, nine easyJet flights were cancelled and more than 590 delayed due to the strikes over the weekend of July 1-3.
On July 1 alone, four flights were cancelled, with journeys from London and Birmingham affected.
An easyJet spokesman said: “We advise customers travelling to and from Barcelona, Malaga and Palma to check the status of their flights on our Flight Tracker page or manage their bookings using our disruption portal on our mobile app or website.
“Although this is outside of our control we would like to apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience caused and would like to reassure them we are doing all possible to minimise any disruption as a result of the strike actions.”
Why are easyJet staff striking?
According to the USO union, Spanish crew are paid substantially less than their European counterparts and are calling for a fairer deal.
Union secretary Miguel Galan said last month that his members want the “same working conditions” as staff enjoy in France and Germany.
Mr Galan said: “Currently, easyJet cabin crew members in Spain have a base salary of €950 [per month], which is €850 less than our colleagues in France or Germany.
“The variable wage depends on our flight hours. Our bases are very expensive cities and with the base salary we barely cover the rent or the mortgage.
“Spain has the lowest base salary for its crew of all easyJet bases in Europe. If you fly many hours, you pay the bills, but at the cost of reducing rest time and flying more hours.”
EasyJet has criticised the timing of the strikes, coming as the aviation sector is under huge pressure as it struggles to cope with demand for foreign travel ramping up to pre-pandemic heights.
But the airline said it hoped the firm could “continue constructive dialogue” with unions over pay.
