Airlines Ryanair pilots in Ireland announce strike

Several European unions have announced its Ryanair members plan to strike in the next weeks. The Irish Air Line Pilot’s Association (IALPA) has announced industrial action for a period of 24 hours beginning on December 20, 2017 in a bid to win union recognition and better conditions for its Ryanair pilots.

Ryanair has based around 300 pilots in Dublin. The low cost carrier stated less than 28% of their Dublin-based pilots will participate in the announced strike action and called them “a small group of pilots who are working their notice and will shortly leave Ryanair, so they don’t care how much upset they cause colleagues or customers.”

In a published statement, Ryanair accuses the IALPA to be an Aer Lingus pilot union: “Ryanair welcomes this notice which conclusively proves that it is about union recognition for the Aer Lingus pilots union IALPA and not about pay and conditions for Ryanair pilots who in Dublin can earn between €150,000 to €190,000 p.a. for working a 5on/4off roster (a double bank holiday weekend every week), and have been offered a 20% pay increase (at a time when IALPA are recommending a 3% increase to Aer Lingus pilots). (…) Ryanair will not recognise an Aer Lingus pilot union, no matter how often or how long this tiny minority (earning between €150,000 to €190,000 p.a.) try to disrupt our flights or our customers plans during Christmas week.”

In addition to the Irish strike action, Italy-based Ryanair pilots have announced strike action on December 15, 2017. Germany’s “Vereinigung Cockpit” union stated on December 12, 2017 its Ryanair members plan to strike for better working conditions in the next days, but vowed not to disrupt flights in the Christmas holiday season. Portuguese unions declared to join walkout.

In the last years, several Ryanair pilots have joined unions to improve working conditions, but Ryanair declines to negotiate with unions.