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THOUSANDS of holidaymakers have been left stranded across Spain after more than 60 flights were cancelled on the second day of easyJet cabin crew strike action.
Flights were cancelled in Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca as cabin crew for the budget airline walked out for the second of three planned days of industrial action.
Over 650 workers belonging to the USO trade union have joined the walkout, which aims to highlight the discrepancy between the salaries paid to Spanish cabin crew members and staff from other European countries.
The strike has impacted EasyJet’s four Spanish bases – Barcelona (143 workers), Alicante (106), Malaga (127) and Palma de Mallorca (281) – and will last until Friday.
easyJet staff are demanding equal pay with their European colleagues.
READ MORE: Flights cancelled across Spain as EasyJet cabin crew begin three days of strike action
According to the USO, the basic salary of Spanish cabin crew at EasyJet is €14,067, significantly lower than the €18,214 staff are paid in Portugal, €19,086 in Italy, or €27,147 in the Netherlands.
Pier Luigi Copello, general secretary of the USO at easyJet, said: “Spanish easyJet cabin crew earn the lowest wages in Europe. While our basic salary is €14,067 per year, our European colleagues earn between 29% more, in the case of Portugal, and in excess of 200% more, in the case of Switzerland.”
The USO’s Malaga president, Miguel Galan, added: “The situation is especially aggravated if we consider that EasyJet’s bases in Spain are in four of the most expensive cities to rent or buy housing, not to mention the severe crisis in the real estate sector with ever higher prices, and the scarce supply of rentals.”
Holidaymakers impacted by the strikes may be entitled to compensation.
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