PortAventura staff maintain strike planned for Easter Saturday after mediation fails

PortAventura workers are maintaining their strike planned for Saturday, April 19, after mediation last week "failed," according to general secretary of the UGT trade union section in the company, Paco López.

The representative for workers of Catalonia's most famous amusement park said that the positions of both sides are still "very far apart" and that no new meetings are planned.

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 celebrated that the company say they are open to an agreement, but pointed out that "more than 60% of workers receive the minimum wage," and that their real pay is reduced even further as they only work "five, seven, or nine months a year."

"It is a very precarious situation and a company like Portaventura must be an example to follow for workers' rights, but its objective is to make working conditions even more precarious," he lamented.

The union representative also preemptively apologized to visitors as "they will not be able to receive the service they deserve" on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the company issued a statement reiterating their will to reach an agreement and celebrated that workers are also willing to sit down again to continue negotiations. 

They aim to "reach a beneficial and sustainable agreement for all parties," the statement adds.

The resort plans to operate as normal on Saturday and "guarantee the usual experience for all visitors on all scheduled opening days."

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.

"We are open to negotiating," Paco López, general secretary of the labor union's division, said in a statement, "but to do so means that the company has to move away their inflexible position." 

According to the labor union, workers are just asking for more transparency from the amusement park management and for the managing 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.