Holidaymakers heading over to sunny Spain for the Easter holidays may face disruption following reports of an upcoming strike at the country’s most popular theme park
Brits flocking to Spain for the Easter holidays have been warned of fresh strikes that could affect tourists. PortAventura World, which attracts around 5.3 million visitors every year, is a popular theme park giant consisting of PortAventura Park, Ferrari Land, and Caribe Waterpark.
Located near the tourist-saturated hotspot of Cap Salou, in Spain’s Costa Dorada region, PortAventura Park was the country’s first-ever theme park and is often touted as being ‘better than Disneyland’ due to its lack of queues. It currently boasts more than 5km of roller coasters, as well as arcade games, and fun-fair-style attractions that make for a great family day out.
However, workers are allegedly set to go on strike on Saturday, April 19 – amid the jam-packed school holidays – following a staff meeting. According to Catalan News, employers agreed to industrial action after several meetings with the company to renew their working agreement, which expired in December last year.
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Salary increases will be the focus point of the strikes, following union claims that 65 per cent of workers are earning ‘just above’ the minimum wage. Spain’s government increased the minimum wage back in 2024 to €1,134 monthly payments made 14 times per year.
This equates to an annual salary of €15,876 (around £13,492). However, many workers only work between five and nine months of the year, meaning some workers will be living off just €8,000 (around £6,796). Paco López, general secretary of the labour union’s division, is reported as saying he is ‘open to negotiating’, adding: “To do so means that the company has to leave away their inflexible position.”
Speaking to the Mirror, the company explained that a ‘formal mediation’ process comprising of PortAventura World, the Works Council, and the legal representation of the workers will begin next week to ‘continue negotiations on the PortAventura Group’s collective agreement’. A spokesperson added: “This mediation will take place at the headquarters of the Departament d’Empresa i Treball of the Government of Catalonia in Tarragona, and it demonstrates the willingness of both parties to reach an agreement.”
PortAventura Group insisted that its theme park will continue to operate as ‘normal’ to ensure the usual experience for all visitors on all scheduled opening days’. However, if an agreement isn’t reached – it is thought the strikes could continue after April 19.
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Salary increases will be at the forefront of many people’s minds in Spain, as it continues to grapple with an ongoing housing crisis. On Saturday, April 5, several Tenants’ Union across the nation are slated to ‘take to the streets’ to call for rental prices to be cut by a whopping 50 per cent.
As previously reported, protestors will demand that long-term contracts become more accessible, so the ‘working class’ can ‘build a life’ without a looming threat of being evicted. It comes amid escalating concern that the demand for short-term holiday lets peddled by tourists has left locals priced out of the property market.
More recently, Spain has brought in a strict new law which means any property owners living in residential complexes will now need approval from their neighbours if they want to rent out their homes to holidaymakers. A 60 per cent majority vote from neighbouring properties will now be needed – otherwise, new holiday lets could be threatened with legal action.
The Mirror has approached PortAventura World for comment.
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