PortAventura halts ticket sales for Easter Saturday, coinciding with workers' strike

Catalonia's most famous amusement park, PortAventura, has halted ticket sales and hotel bookings for Easter Saturday, coinciding with a strike called by workers on April 19.

The park will still open its doors to the public, although it has announced that it "cannot ensure" the quality of service and that it "respects the fundamental rights of its workers to go on strike."

"The process of negotiation will continue until we reach an understanding that benefits both parties, as it has happened on previous occasions," the park's management said.

Although the general secretary of the UGT trade union section in the company, Paco López, does not believe there will be an agreement between workers and management before Saturday.

Earlier this week, PortAventura workers announced they were maintaining their planned strike, after mediation last week "failed," as the positions of both sides were still "very far apart," López told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

López also pointed out that there will be no minimum services on the day of the strike and that park visitors may have "difficulties" in buying food or enjoying rides. He, however, also said that they will respect if any worker wants to work, and that they will not ban access to the park.

Dispute

PortAventura workers agreed to go on strike after several meetings with the company to renew their working agreement, which expired on December 31, 2024, ended without a new deal. 

Staff are calling for a "dignified" agreement with salary increases, as the UGT PortAventura union claims that 65% of workers are earning minimum wage.

According to the labor union, workers are just asking for more transparency from the amusement park management and for the management issues to be solved. They claim schedules, resting hours, or even transportation options to go to work.

The minimum wage is around €15,000; however, most workers "work between five and nine months per year, meaning that they only receive €8,000, €10,000 or €12,000," López said.

Workers also do not rule out extending their strike beyond April 19.