The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is not allowed to lay off 206 employees in Spain for the time being. The government banned the company from undertaking this, pointing out that legal requirements were not being complied with and that the carrier only wanted to save on social security contributions and taxes.

The matter has a long history, because on January 9, 2020 Ryanair fired a total of 244 Spanish employees on various bases. A court overturned this and ordered it to be reinstated immediately. The carrier did not adequately explain the reasons that led to the closure of the stations and thus to the layoffs and furthermore disregarded the legally stipulated involvement of employee representatives.

Just on the day the verdict was announced, Ryanair is said to have issued another 206 layoffs and again not to have involved the unions. The Spanish Ministry of Labor has now banned the project. Ryanair can appeal the decision to the Spanish national court.