Ryanair's Spanish cabin workers plan to prolong strikes until January

MADRID, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish cabin staff of Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, who have been on strike for better working conditions since the end of June, said they would extend their walkouts until January.

A new round of strikes will take place from Monday to Thursday during every week from Aug. 8 to Jan. 7, the Spanish unions USO and Sitcpla confirmed on Wednesday.

The unions continue to demand working conditions that respect basic rights, such as 22 days of paid holiday, 14 more public holidays, and that health and safety laws are fulfilled, while asking for 11 workers sacked during earlier strikes to be reinstated and ongoing disciplinary actions to be dropped.

"They have given us no option, we have had to extend the strike because the company continues to refuse to negotiate something as basic as a collective working agreement," said Monica Ortega, spokesperson of the USO union.

Ryanair accounted for 22.3 percent of passengers travelling via Spanish airports during the first half of this year, data released by airport operator Aena has showed.

A total of 24 flights were cancelled during strike actions from Monday to Wednesday, and more than 686 flights from Spain were delayed.