Spanish unions shrug off Ryanair threat to cut jobs over strikes

MADRID: Unions representing Ryanair's cabin crew in Spain on Tuesday dismissed a warning from the Irish low-cost airline that it will cut jobs if its crew continues to stage strikes.

With the busy summer season in full swing, Ryanair's cabin crew are set to go on strike Wednesday and Thursday in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy over pay and work conditions, forcing the airline to cancel 600 flights which will affect 100,000 passengers.

Ryanair said on Monday that it expects more strikes over the summer as it is not "prepared to concede to unreasonable demands" and warned that if they do continue "we will have to review our winter schedule, which may lead to fleet reductions at disrupted bases and job losses".

But the president of Spain's Sitcpla cabin crew union said he did not believe Ryanair would scale back its flights in spain because it generates 20 percent of its revenues in the country, the world's second tourist destination after France.

"Sincerely, it is a threat because that is Ryanair's style but that does not frighten us at all," Monique Duthiers told a news conference in Madrid just before unions were due to hold their final round of talks with the airline before the strike is set to begin.

Ernesto Iglesias of the USO-aerien union said that if Ryanair cut back its flights in Spain other airlines would move in because the country is "interesting" commercially.

"If it is not Ryanair it will be another company that gives us work," he said.

"What we will not accept is that a foreign company comes here, make a profit, exploit workers in this country and threaten to cease their activity."

Founded 33 years ago in Dublin, the Irish low-cost carrier has grown quickly and boasts lower costs per passenger than its competitors.

But employees have long slammed their working conditions and the airline has been hit by several strikes this year.

Unions want the airline to give contractors the same work conditions as its own employees.

They are also asking that Ryanair staff be employed according to the national legislation of the country they operate in, rather than that of Ireland as is currently the case.

Ryanair argues that since its planes fly under the Irish flag and most of its employees work on board planes, its staff are covered by Irish law.

Ryanair faced a third day of strikes by its pilots in Ireland on Tuesday over pay and other conditions, resulting in the cancellation of 16 flights affecting 2,500 passengers.