Ryanair Demands Payback from Spanish Cabin Crew
Ryanair has instructed some of its cabin crew in Spain to repay salary increases granted earlier this year, following a court ruling that nullified a union-negotiated pay agreement. The situation stems from a wage deal signed on October 24, 2024, between Ryanair and the Spanish union Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), which granted salary increases to all flight attendants, regardless of their union affiliation. The deal was soon challenged in court by rival union Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), which argued that its members were excluded from the negotiations and not represented in the process. Spain’s High Court sided with USO, declaring the agreement invalid and sparking a financial fallout for affected employees.
As a result of the court’s decision, Ryanair has now informed flight attendants represented by USO that they must return the salary increases they have received since January 2025. A confidential letter obtained by Spanish publication El Confidential reveals that Ryanair has calculated the average amount owed per employee to be €3,215.95. To reduce the immediate financial burden, the airline is offering a 12-month repayment plan, starting with deductions from June 2025 salaries. However, the letter also presents an alternative. According to internal communications sent to staff on April 4, 2025, Ryanair told employees that joining the CCOO union could exempt them from repaying the money. The implication is that by aligning with CCOO, crew members would fall under the original agreement and retain their salary increases.
The airline has given crew members until May 19, 2025, to opt into the CCOO agreement. Employees who do not join by the deadline will be required to repay the full amount immediately, or face salary deductions over the repayment period. Ryanair further warned that if no action is taken by June 1, 2025, not only will the salary increases be rescinded, but workers could also face changes to their shift patterns, referred to as a change of quadrant in the company’s letter.
The move has drawn criticism from labor advocates who view Ryanair’s strategy as coercive, using debt as leverage to influence union affiliation. The incident underscores long-standing tensions between Ryanair and its workforce in Spain, where disputes over union representation, pay, and working conditions have flared repeatedly in recent years. For now, many cabin crew members are left with a difficult decision: either align with a union they may not have chosen or repay thousands of euros during a time of economic uncertainty. The outcome of this dispute may shape how labor negotiations unfold across Ryanair’s European network, especially in markets with multiple competing unions and complex labor laws.
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