Some Ryanair Pilots Call 24 Hour Strike

December 12, 2017

Ryanair faces the prospect of a December 20 strike by some of its Ireland-based pilots after a ballot approved industrial action.

Ryanair pilots who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) gave notice of a one day strike from 00:01 on Wednesday 20 December after 94 percent of votes cast approved a strike.

Further strike days are possible if agreement is not reached, IALPA’s parent union IMPACT said in a statement. The union did not say how many pilots voted in the ballot.

Ryanair said the strike notice it received from IMPACT “proves that it is about union recognition for the Aer Lingus pilots union IALPA and not about pay and conditions.”

The airline said its “very well paid pilots are free to join unions”, but Ryanair is also free under Irish & EU law to decline to engage with unions.

“Ryanair will not recognise an Aer Lingus pilot union, no matter how often or how long this tiny minority… try to disrupt our flights or our customers plans during Christmas week.”

The union’s dispute is over Ryanair management’s “refusal to enter direct negotiations with the European Employee Representative Council (EERC) or IALPA as the sole independent representative body for pilots working in the company.”

IMPACT says the airline has so far refused to recognise the EERC or IALPA, and insists that any discussion of pay and working conditions be conducted through management-controlled employee representative councils.

(Airwise)