Less flights and no taxis – Barcelona affected by strike

Two strikes affect Catalonia today and on Thursday: one by Ryanair pilots and cabin crew and one by Barcelona's taxi drivers.

Passengers travelling from Barcelona, Girona and Reus airports might be affected by cancellations from Ryanair. So far, the airline has cancelled one flight from Girona to Pisa (Italy).

The airline insists all affected travelers have already been relocated to other flights or got their money back. Minimum services set by the government state that 59% of flights national and international should operate as well as all those going to or coming from the isles such as Mallorca, Menorca or the Canary Islands.

According to unions, the strike is to protest the "poor working conditions" of Ryanair workers. Up to 75% of the staff has temporary contracts based on Irish legislation and only get paid for hours flying, which according to unions means they are suffering from a "huge employment instability." Ryanair CEO, Michael O'Leary, criticized the strike, calling it "unnecessary" and warning that it could lead to job cuts.

Meanwhile, taxi drivers in Barcelona have called a 48-hours-stoppage to protest against Uber and Cabify. There are no taxis to travel from the city center to the airport, or the other way around, although there are alternative options such as the Aerobus, trains or metro. Taxi drivers have warned their strike could expand beyond Thursday and affect only airport services.

Good news are, though, that a third strike planned by Iberia staff crew for Friday and Saturday was called off on Tuesday evening after long negotiations.