RYANAIR cabin crew members have announced a series of strikes in September across the country in response to the company's announcement it intended to close three bases in Spain - those of Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Girona-Costa Brava.
The industrial action will take place on Sunday, September 1 and Monday, September 2, then continue over Friday, September 6 and Sunday, September 8.
Strikes will continue every Friday and Sunday (September 13, 15, 20 and 22) for the next two weeks, then after the shutdown planned for Friday, September 27, staff will down tools again the following day, Saturday, September 28.
Staff shortages as a result will affect all 13 Ryanair bases in Spain.
Cabin crew union SITCPLA's spokesman Manuel Lodeiro said 'in the next few days' it would receive an summons from the company's arbitration service, and that it was hoped an agreement could be reached.
But if this is not forthcoming, employees will go ahead with their industrial action.
Secretary of organisation for the union USO-Ryanair, Jairo Gonzalo, is not confident that a deal will be made to avoid the closure of the three bases.
"We very much doubt Ryanair's willingness to come to an agreement or even to come to the table with the intention to negotiate," Gonzalo says.
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