The Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (Sepla) has called new strike days at Air Europa for May 22, 23, 25, 26, 29 and 30, as well as June 1 and 2 at all bases and work centers in Spain. For Sepla, this measure responds to the company’s lack of interest in solving the labor conflict. According to the union, airline executives are not attending to the labor and salary demands of the workers after the four days of strike in the first week of May.
Spain‘s Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agency has applied a “minimum services” law that requires pilots to report to work to service at a minimum 90% of scheduled flights, even during industrial actions meant to address negotiations over salary increases. The union has indicated that, in case Air Europa’s top management continues with its unwillingness to dialogue, new strike days will be called during the summer.
It’s disheartening that Air Europa’s managers continue to ignore the pilots’ call for a pay rise. Yet the airline has increased prices by 54% in the last year.
Sepla
Sepla has said it regrets having to take these measures, but affirms that it is the only way out forced by the company in defense of a fair professional future for the pilots, who cannot give up the labor rights set out in the 4th Collective Bargaining Agreement or lose more purchasing power.
According to Spanish media, there is a chance that traffic controllers, flight attendants, and ground transportation could participate in the potential upcoming industrial action. The union has warned about the consequences of the minimum services imposed by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to Air Europa pilots, who are seeing their right to strike restricted. Sepla has decided to sue the ministry.
According to Sepla, the ministry has been criticized for protecting the interests of Air Europa’s managers, allowing them to engage in unfair practices to break the collective of workers who are legitimately fighting for their rights. In this sense, the Union points out that it is disproportionate and abusive that the Ministry has protected 157 out of 175 flights.
The union has expressed its vexation stating that the Ministry continues to act against the professionals of the air sector, after more than ten rulings against it by the National Court, which has resolved as null and disproportionate applications of minimum services in previous strikes by pilots, as has happened with those filed by other groups of air transport.
The associations of air transport professionals, including Sepla already called a rally on May 5th in front of the Ministry of Transport to protest against the limitation of the right to strike.
