Cabin Crew Unions Give Ryanair A Contract Deadline

Five European cabin crew unions have given Ryanair an ultimatum to apply national employment laws or face “coordinated industrial action” during the summer.

The unions, Belgium’s CNE/LBC, Italy’s UILTASPORTI, Portugal’s SNPVAC, and SITCPLA and USO of Spain, met in Lisbon on Tuesday to agree the June 30, 2018 deadline or the Irish airline could face possible strikes during the busy summer travel season.

A joint position paper states that the unions want Ryanair to start negotiations with representatives appointed by each union, without imposing restrictions.

The union group wants the airline to apply the same terms and work conditions to all cabin crew, including contracted crew. Ryanair must also apply national legislation to the contracts of employment and internal HR procedures under EU regulations, the unions said.

If Ryanair fails to comply with the terms, the unions said they will “initiate all the statutory and legal procedures to call a coordinated industrial action, including strike action, during the summer.”

Ryanair has had a difficult time with its flight crews after a pilot shortage led to a summer of flight cancellations last year. Its pilots across Europe voted for industrial action during the busy December holiday travel period, but strikes were averted when the airline made a surprise offer to negotiate over union recognition, an issue the low cost carrier had previously opposed strongly.

The Dublin-based airline has subsequently agreed the recognition of pilot unions in the UK and Italy, with negotiations ongoing in other countries, the airline has said.

Cabin crew unions have also flexed their industrial muscles, with the Portuguese union SNPVAC calling a strike earlier this month over recognition of cabin crew rights.