Spain

In June 2022, due to the refusal of the Ireland-based airline Ryanair to negotiate with the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO) and the Independent Union of Airline Passenger Cabin Crew (SITCPLA), the workers began a strike at the headquarters in Spain. Unions were denouncing the airline’s repeated breach of the labour laws and the company’s refusal to enter into a collective agreement. Ryanair retaliated by dismissing 22 workers and opening disciplinary measures against striking workers.

In Spain, it was common practice for employers to try to delay collective bargaining. The Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) deplored that in several sectors, employers often did not respect their obligations under collective agreements, and refused to apply the wage rates agreed in the collective agreements by applying to authorities for an exemption (descuelgue salarial).