Ryanair, Vueling: Flight cancellations possible as Italian airline staff plan strike this Saturday

Cabin crew from finances airways Ryanair and Vueling will strike throughout Italy on 1 October.

Cancellations and disruptions are attainable as pilots and flight attendants stroll off the job to demand greater pay and higher working situations.

The industrial motion - coordinated by the Italian Filt Cgil and Uiltrasporti unions - can be a protest in opposition to the current redundancies of 17 Vueling flight attendants primarily based in Rome.

Ryanair workers will maintain a 24-hour walkout, whereas Vueling workers will strike for a complete of 4 hours, from 1pm to 5pm.

Why are Italian airline workers hanging?

Vueling and Ryanair workers are hanging to demand higher working situations. The motion follows related walkouts in June and July this 12 months.

“Italian staff (deserve) contracts that assure first rate working situations and salaries no less than consistent with the minimal wages supplied for within the nationwide air transport contract of our nation ", a union assertion reads.

The union condemned Vueling for firing 17 “dedicated and professional” flight attendants at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Union representatives additionally demanded higher working situations for folks, corresponding to exempting “moms with babies” from evening shift work.

Ryanair slammed the unions as "irrelevant" and warranted prospects that there can be no affect on flights.

European airports have been hit with prolonged queues over summer time as workers protest pay situations.Canva

“Ryanair expects zero affect to our 3,000 each day flights on account of deliberate strike motion on Sat, 1st Oct by three tiny and irrelevant unions who don’t symbolize Ryanair workers, aren't recognised by Ryanair and have beforehand held unsupported strikes which have had zero affect on Ryanair’s operations," an airline spokesperson mentioned.

"Ryanair has already reached Collective Labour Agreements with 3 main, consultant unions in Italy (FIT CISL, ANPAC and ANPAV), which cowl all of our Italian crew and ship accelerated pay restoration, future pay will increase, and different profit enhancements for our folks.”

Vueling has been contacted for remark.

The motion is the most recent in a sequence of strikes which have grounded planes throughout Europe this summer time.

The wave of protests is partly a response to skyrocketing inflation that's eroding wages throughout the continent.

Will my flight be cancelled and am I entitled to compensation?

No Ryanair cancellations are anticipated, a spokesperson mentioned. Vueling has not but indicated whether or not any flights shall be cancelled on account of the strike.

Below Italian civil aviation legislation flights are assured from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm - even throughout strike motion.

Nonetheless, airways could should floor some journeys.

In case your flight is delayed or cancelled, don’t panic. You're entitled to compensation below EU regulation EC 261, which protects all flights inside the EU. This implies your airline is required to compensate you in case your journey is considerably disrupted, normally a delay of three hours or extra.

For extra particulars in your rights, take a look at our explainer right here.