Spanish Supreme Court Rules Ryanair Violated Workers' Right to Strike and Trade-Union Freedom

Summary

Spain's Supreme Court confirmed in November 2025 that Ryanair violated the fundamental rights to strike and trade-union freedom of cabin crew during industrial action in Spain in 2022 and 2023. The case arose after negotiations over working conditions and a collective agreement broke down between Ryanair and the Spanish unions USO (Unión Sindical Obrera) and SITCPLA (Sindicato Independiente de Tripulantes de Cabina de Pasajeros). Cabin crew subsequently organized several periods of industrial action. Strikes took place in June and July 2022, followed by an extended strike period running from August 8, 2022 to January 7, 2023. Coverage of the Spanish Supreme Court judgment: https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-12-01/el-supremo-ratifica-la-sentencia-contra-ryanair-por-vulneracion-de-derecho-a-huelga-en-2022-y-2023.html The litigation concerned multiple actions by Ryanair during the strikes that Spanish courts found interfered with employees' fundamental labor rights. According to the judgment, Ryanair changed assignments for legally required minimum-service flights without sufficient advance notice, including changes made during strike days themselves. The unions argued that this allowed Ryanair to compel employees to operate flights beyond the manner contemplated by the minimum-service arrangements. Ryanair also contacted employees through their personal telephones, including during rest periods, directing them to report for minimum-service assignments. The courts additionally found that Ryanair failed to provide the strike committee with information concerning scheduled and protected flights and the employees assigned to those services. Another particularly serious part of the dispute involved disciplinary proceedings against striking employees. More than 200 disciplinary proceedings were opened against workers who allegedly failed to report for minimum-service assignments. According to the case record reported in the judgment, more than 50 workers were dismissed. A number of those dismissal disputes were subsequently resolved through conciliation in which Ryanair recognized that the dismissals were improper, while other dismissals were declared null by courts. The unions argued that the disciplinary measures had a deterrent effect designed to discourage employees from participating in the industrial action. Spain's National Court ruled against Ryanair in December 2024, finding multiple violations of the fundamental rights to strike and trade-union freedom. Ryanair appealed. On November 12, 2025, the Social Chamber of Spain's Supreme Court rejected Ryanair's appeal and upheld the National Court's findings. The Supreme Court said the lower court had established an extensive factual record identifying multiple violations of the fundamental rights involved. Ryanair was ordered to pay a combined €187,515 in compensation for moral damages to USO and SITCPLA. Earlier Spanish Supreme Court precedent involving Ryanair: https://www.poderjudicial.es/cgpj/en/Judiciary/Supreme-Court/Pressroom/Press-Archive/El-Tribunal-Supremo-confirma-que-Ryanair-vulnero-el-derecho-a-la-huelga-de-los-trabajadores-en-2019-y-condena-a-la-aerolinea-a-pagar-30-000-euros-a-dos-sindicatos The 2025 judgment is especially significant because it was not the first time Spain's Supreme Court had confirmed that Ryanair violated workers' strike and trade-union rights. In April 2023, the Supreme Court rejected appeals by Ryanair DAC, Crewlink Ireland Ltd and Workforce Contractors Ltd concerning separate Ryanair cabin-crew strikes held on ten days during September 2019. In that earlier case, the Supreme Court confirmed a National Court judgment finding violations of employees' right to strike and the unions' right to freedom of association. The companies were ordered to pay €30,000 to each of the two unions for moral damages and restore affected workers' monthly productivity bonuses, subject only to a €5 deduction for each strike day. Company position: Ryanair challenged the findings in the 2022–2023 case and appealed the National Court judgment to Spain's Supreme Court. Among its arguments, Ryanair contended that the unions themselves had encouraged workers not to comply with minimum-service requirements during online meetings held during the strikes. Ryanair submitted recordings of union meetings in support of its position. The Supreme Court did not accept this evidence. According to reporting on the judgment, the court noted that although the meetings were held openly, they were directed at Ryanair employees and the company had entered the meetings without being invited. The Supreme Court ultimately rejected Ryanair's appeal and left the finding of fundamental-rights violations in place. Key facts: The dispute involved Ryanair cabin-crew strikes during 2022 and 2023; Spanish courts found violations of workers' fundamental right to strike and trade-union freedom; conduct identified by the courts included changes to minimum-service assignments, failure to provide information to the strike committee and disciplinary proceedings against participating employees; more than 200 disciplinary proceedings were opened and more than 50 employees were reportedly dismissed during the dispute; some dismissals were subsequently recognized as improper or declared null; Spain's National Court ruled against Ryanair in 2024; the Spanish Supreme Court rejected Ryanair's appeal on November 12, 2025; and Ryanair was ordered to pay €187,515 to USO and SITCPLA for moral damages. The case is particularly significant because the final ruling concerned fundamental worker rights rather than an ordinary disagreement over wages or employment contracts. Spain's Supreme Court confirmed that Ryanair's conduct during the industrial action violated employees' right to strike and the unions' freedom of association. It also represents a repeated pattern: Spain's Supreme Court had already confirmed violations of the same fundamental labor rights by Ryanair arising from a separate series of strikes in 2019.