Images of exhausted travelers at airports, watching travel plans unravel due to flight cancellations and delays, continued to define August across major hubs. From August 8, Ryanair cabin crew strikes persisted with intermittent pauses from Monday to Thursday. EasyJet faced renewed labor tensions after reaching an agreement with its cabin crew in Spain, while pilots pressed for parity with crews in other bases, with actions continuing through mid August. Vueling saw a demonstration outside its Barcelona headquarters aimed at drawing attention to staffing and contract concerns, and air traffic controllers warned that patience was wearing thin as unions outlined a series of actions for the month, as noted by USCA.
The broader aviation landscape signaled hot August conditions at European airports driven by labor demands that had been paused during the pandemic and are now fueling a revival in travel demand. The scene was marked by general disruption and staff shortages across both airlines and airports. Lufthansa pilots declared a favorable vote for a potential strike, though exact dates remained to be determined, signaling a tense labor climate across Europe.
In Spain, the most intense conflict within the airline sector involved Ryanair cabin crew, whose dispute showed little sign of resolution and threatened to extend into early 2023, according to unions USO and Sitcpla. Weekly strikes continued from Monday through Thursday. The unions criticized the airline for resisting dialogue and failing to make meaningful contact. Their demands included applying Spanish labor and union protections, guaranteeing the right to strike at eleven Spanish bases, reinstating eleven workers dismissed in the preceding months, and addressing ongoing disciplinary actions against hundreds of crew members.
Inside EasyJet, leadership of the protest shifted to pilots who demand conditions comparable to those enjoyed by crews in other countries where the company operates. Through Sepla, a three day weekend strike is planned on August 12, 13 and 14, followed by further action on August 19, 20, and 21, and again on August 27, 28 and 29. The objective is to secure improvements made before the pandemic and to advance negotiations for a renewed collective agreement.
A separate challenge confronting air traffic is the controller sector. The USCA, a major union, announced plans for August actions in response to what its leaders describe as non-compliance with agreements reached with the government. In late June, union delegates met in Barcelona and achieved a ceasefire with the ministry, yet they warned that there was no room for compromise amid ongoing staff shortages and aging personnel, calling for a fresh deal to address the crisis.