More travel woes expected at Luton Airport with EasyJet Spain strikers expected to miss nine days

Last night (21 June), the BBC reported that cabin crews working for EasyJet Spain are expected to strike for nine days in July.

Easyjet whose UK headquarters are based in Luton, had to cancel thousands of flights this summer due to staff shortages at Gatwick Airport.

As recently as Sunday (19 June), multiple holidaymakers told horror stories of their experiences at Luton Airport with flights being delayed for hours and cancelled at the last minute.

Luton Airport counters, saying 99% of its flights operated as scheduled at the start of the month.

Spain based union USO, which looks after EasyJet workers in the country, is calling for staff to protest in response to stalling talks over cabin crew pay.

USO members who work in Spanish airports in El Prat in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca are expected to strike between 1-3 July, 15-17 July and 29-31 July.

Miguel Galan, USO general secretary for EasyJet Malaga, said flight attendants want a 40% increase in their basic pay.

A stand off between EasyJet workers in Spain and the global company is linked to the inferior pay Spanish workers receive in comparison to cabin crews in France and Germany.

BBC reporting states that basic pay typically makes up 60% of EasyJet workers' salaries, how many flights crews complete is factored into their remaining pay.

USO’s general secretary announced yesterday (21 June), that he still hopes an agreement can be made stopping the need for a mass strike.

He states that USO represents 80% of the 450 EasyJet workers employed in Spain.

EasyJet says at this stage it ‘plans to operate its full schedule and we would like to reassure customers that we will do everything possible to minimise any disruption’.

The Luton-based air service already announced it was cancelling more summer flights planned between July and September in response to Gatwick Airport reducing its number of weekly flights.

Airport chaos this summer has been linked to an increase in demand following two years of flight restrictions and cancellations.

Also, the industry is struggling to meet demand due to redundancies and cost-cutting measures enacted during the pandemic.