Ryanair strikes: Flights to and from Spain affected by 5-month walkout starting in August

The struggle between Ryanair's unions and management has only just begun. 

After June and July were marked by strikes at airports, two Ryanair cabin crew unions, Unión Sindical Obrera (USO) and Sitcpla, have called for a walk out that will last five months running from 8 August to 7 January 2023.

The industrial action will take place every week, from Monday to Thursday, and will last 24 hours, sources from USO told Euronews. Their demands include a call for the immediate reinstatement of the 11 workers fired for striking this July.

"We are seeing a trickle of dismissals almost daily. Last week it was the tenth worker and yesterday another colleague from Barcelona who had been with the company for 12 years," union sources say. 

They are also calling for an end to disciplinary proceedings against almost 100 workers who took part in the stoppages.

"They are using this as a way of intimidating the workforce. It is their way of warning workers to be careful about going on strike," says a union spokeswoman.

Despite the situation, the company refuses to sit down with the unions. 

"There has not yet been any kind of cooperation on their part," the USO says. 

The 18 days of strikes since the beginning of the summer caused an estimated 310 cancellations and about 3,455 delays at 10 Ryanair bases in Spain. 

"Even with all the obstacles, there has been between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of the strike follow up".

This new action will mainly affect the airports of Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, Seville and Palma de Mallorca. Both national and international connections will be disrupted. 

The workers' demands include "the application of basic labour rights", in the words of the union. 

A few months ago, Ryanair left negotiations