Ryanair’s strike by cabin crew (TCP) has not disrupted flights two months after it began this Wednesday, and forecasts show a 15% rise in passengers this summer compared with the same period in 2019.
Since the strike started on June 24, the initial six days gave way to twelve more, and unions including USO and Sitcpla extended the stoppage to January 7, 2023, with a pattern of cancellations and delays across Spain, according to the workers’ section.
Ryanair’s Human Resources Director, Darrell Hughes, told Efe that disruptions were mainly caused by operational bottlenecks at several European airports after two years of the pandemic. Ground handling, air traffic control, and security checks were affected, largely due to staff shortages.
Despite the challenges, the company remains optimistic about the upcoming summer season. Hughes noted that strong demand continues to push growth at all airports and in passenger volumes.
He added that strikes by other airlines in Spain, including easyJet and Iberia Express, do not affect routes to Turkey. The recovery of tourism in the country remains solid and steady.
Ryanair hopes to restore its traffic levels by the end of the current fiscal year, aiming for about 165 million passengers, roughly 11% above 2019 levels, with 50 million of those in Spain, around 14% higher than before the pandemic. However, fuel costs and inflation add a layer of uncertainty that tempers certainty about profits for the period ahead.
Rising fuel prices have pushed airfares higher, yet the airline argues this creates a wider gap versus competitors, strengthening its pricing position for the near term.
The company has secured fuel hedges that cover approximately 80% of its needs through March 2023 and around 30% for the next fiscal year, supporting a claim that it will maintain lower prices than rivals, according to Hughes.
Negotiations continue with the unions
On the Spanish TCP strike, Hughes described support within the workforce as limited and stressed that actions should not harm the airline’s image.
USO and Sitcpla acknowledge that tracking the impact is difficult because many flights are declared as minimum service, a threshold set by the government. The airline contends that such declarations do not necessarily reflect actual minimum service levels, a point Hughes underscored.
Hughes emphasized the commitment to improving employee conditions and invited parties ready to negotiate to engage in talks and reach agreements.
He noted that the carrier has engaged in talks with USO and Sitcpla for four years, including eight months of formal negotiations. The company acted as an intermediary through CHASM but did not secure an agreement at that time.
In contrast, negotiations with CCOO progressed quickly, resulting in an agreement announced on May 29. The deal includes a plan to sign a comprehensive collective agreement by the end of October 2023 and a pledge to hire directly rather than through placement agencies.
The plan also contemplates a salary increase of 1,000 euros annually, with an additional 800 euros per year starting in April 2023.
Current TCP salaries in Spain range from about 19,000 to 40,000 euros, with fixed and variable components depending on the role and duties involved.
For USO and Sitcpla, a higher salary package, including a productivity bonus of 1,800 euros, was part of pre-pandemic compensation, though it faced later challenges in the context of the court ruling on pay cuts.
The agreement with CCOO specifies that only TCP members affiliated with this union can participate, but once a broader agreement is signed, it would cover all TCP members, with future steps planned for internal promotions and adjustments in compensation.
The manager noted that currently USO and Sitcpla are losing members while CCOO gains affiliates on an ongoing basis.
Asked about more than 20 dismissals that occurred since the protests began, Hughes stated that none were union-backed and that some flights were identified as minimum service, a designation the unions contest. They argue that the company uses digital disconnections to label actions as non-compliant and therefore grounds for dismissal.
All dismissals are intended to be challenged in social courts, with unions hoping for nullification and reinstatement for the affected workers, similar to outcomes seen in past Ryanair disputes.