Ryanair’s ground staff will strike this weekend at 24 Spanish airports
The dispute between Ryanair and its handling staff in Spain is intensifying. The union UGT has confirmed that this weekend, on 23 and 24 August, the second round of strikes will take place at 24 airports operated by Aena, including those in Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife.
The protests are centred on employees of Azul Handling, the company that provides ground services for the Irish airline, although workers from Menzies are also expected to join. Menzies handles airlines such as British Airways, Emirates, American Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.
The union accuses the company of employing “tricks” to negate the strike. During the first three days of strikes — 15, 16, and 17 August — few incidents were reported, which UGT attributes to Ryanair strengthening its workforce during the strike periods, assigning shifts with only two or three hours’ notice, and declaring most flights as protected, thereby making the strikes difficult to follow.
UGT states that the strike call responds to the “serious situation affecting the workplace, which the company continues to refuse to resolve”. Among their grievances are massive and repressive sanctions against those refusing to work overtime, with penalties of up to 36 days of unpaid leave. They also denounce “fraudulent” hiring practices that prevent employees from consolidating their seniority and keep a significant portion of the workforce in precarious conditions, as well as ongoing attacks on union activities.
If no last-minute agreement is reached, the strike will coincide with one of the busiest weekends for air travel during the summer, particularly affecting tourist destinations such as the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and the Costa del Sol.
