Ryanair Dutch Pilots Vote For Industrial Action

Industrial strife continues at Ryanair with the airline’s Netherlands-based pilots voting for industrial action.

The Dutch Airline Pilots Association said 99.5 percent of votes cast in a ballot supported industrial action, despite negotiations for a collective agreement with the carrier still going on.

“We are losing hope for a positive outcome. Ryanair needs a ‘wake up call’ and a strike in the Netherlands might be the only solution,” the union said in a statement.

Dutch ALPA said its demands are modest: that Dutch law should apply, no more “bogus self-employment”, and there should be sufficient sick pay and pension.

The union said it supports the low cost airline’s Irish pilots and their strike on Friday in support of a collective agreement and the prevention of job losses in Dublin.

Ryanair last week announced a slimming down of its Dublin base with at least six of its 30 Boeing 737s there moving to its Ryanair Sun Polish charter airline. Chief executive Michael O’Leary has threatened to move more aircraft if the strikes continue and damage the airline.