EasyJet cabin crew call OFF Spain strikes at the last minute

EASYJET cabin crew in Spain have called OFF a planned strike at the weekend after reaching a deal with the budget airline.

The airline's flight attendants in Spain went on strike from July 1 to 3 and again from July 15 to 17, with plans to go on strike from today.

The strikes would have affected flights at Barcelona's El Prat airport, as well as Malaga and Majorca.

But they have cancelled a further three days of strike action planned for late July after the company offered better pay and benefits in ongoing negotiations.

"After weeks of strike action and months of negotiations, the company has made us an economic proposal that, without being exactly what we were demanding, does represent an important approach to the salaries and conditions of our colleagues in Europe," Miguel Galan, general secretary of USO's easyJet section said.

The basic salary for easyJet's Spanish staff, which excludes bonuses and extra pay, stands at 950 euros - far lower than in countries such as France and Germany, the union leader said.

The airline welcomed the agreement - "This is great news for the airline, for our employees and also for customers, who can book with more confidence," it said in an email sent to Reuters.

"We have always been committed to continuing to work constructively with the unions," the company added.

Cabin staff at Ryanair have also called for strikes in Spain, threatening to last for five months, with crew walking out for four days a week until January.

The strikes have caused some flight cancellations and delays this month, adding to travel woes as the sector struggles to cope with rebounding demand.

However, a Ryanair spokesperson said: "Ryanair has operated over 45,000 flights to/from Spain over the last 3 months with less than 1% affected by crewing and Ryanair expects minimal (if any) disruption this winter."

The UK government was forced to update the travel advice for Spain due to the strikes this month.

They said: "Planned strike action in July may cause some disruption to EasyJet and Ryanair flights to and from Spain.

"If you think your travel plans may be affected, you should consult your airline for the latest travel updates."

British Airways pilots are now also threatening to strike this summer - which could see nearly all flights grounded.

Lufthansa had to cancel almost all of their flights at two airports this week, also because of industrial action.