Ryanair investigated for paying some cabin crew in Spain less than the minimum wage

The Spanish government's department of work inspections, the ITSS, have launched an official investigation into Ryanair for not paying the country's minimum interprofessional wage (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional or SMI) to some of its cabin crew based in Spain.

The USO trade union originally made the complaint in September 2021 about hourly pay contracts with no base salary, between Ryanair and its recruitment agencies, to cabin crew.

After analysing the documentation provided, the inspectorate determined that since it does not specify whether the contracts were full-time or part-time, they must be considered full-time and cabin crew must receive at least the SMI as remuneration.

The ITSS also verified that salaries received by Ryanair cabin crew were lower than the SMI in force at the time of the complaint made by the USO.

The labour inspectorate judged that regardless of whether the pay is directly linked to the flight hours carried out, the company has an obligation to guarantee, every month, pay at least the amount established by the SMI.

This complaint and inspection is the base of what has caused the 24-hour strikes every Monday in February by cabin crew employed in Spain, but finally, the ITSS is intervening to find a resolution to the disagreement.