easyJet Spanish pilots announce three 72-hour strikes with dates throughout August

Sepla easyJet Company Council has called a strike in three periods of 72 hours each, to be held on 12, 13 and 14 August; 19, 20 and 21 of the same month; as well as 27, 28 and 29 August, due to the company’s refusal to restore the working conditions pilots had before the pandemic and to negotiate the second Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is the last possible recourse, as all attempts by the pilots’ representatives to reach an agreement have failed. At the mediation meeting, held between the two sides on 22 July, the company did not present any improvement to its proposal.

The pilots’ representatives have called the strikes after more than six months of negotiations and up to six meetings in which three social proposals have been presented and rejected by the company. The goodwill of the Sepla Company Council has been more than evident in the process, as it was during the worst months of the pandemic when easyJet resorted to the threat of possible job losses to demand a series of job resignations from the pilots’ collective. Having achieved its aim, the company announced an increase in the number of aircraft and pilots at its Barcelona and Palma bases and opened a completely new base in Malaga.

The only aim of the Sepla easyJet Company Council is to restore the working conditions that pilots had in 2019, now that the number of flights is very similar to what it was two years ago, as well as to resume negotiations for the signing of the new agreement. However, the company has refused to meet any request from the pilots’ collective and has presented a new proposal that further cuts their conditions in real terms. It should be recalled that the pilots accepted all of these labour sacrifices not only to keep their jobs during the worst months of COVID-19, but also to guarantee the very survival of the company in Spain.

Likewise, it should be noted that easyJet operates bases all over Europe and has different types of employment contracts in each country. The conditions for Spanish pilots have always been worse than the rest and are further degraded by the company’s new proposal.