Ryanair pilot strike may surge through Germany, Italy, Portugal and Ireland

Ryanair pilot strike may surge through Germany, Italy, Portugal and Ireland

No turnaround: those who strike will face sanctions such as “the loss of future payroll increases according to the agreement” or “transfers or promotions.” In a letter sent to his Italian pilots, Ryanair’s chief of staff, Eddie Wilson, invites them in no uncertain terms to refrain from the strike scheduled for December 15.

โ€œPlease continue to work according to your scheduled shifts,โ€ is the exhortation of the manager, who in this way hopes to avoid joining the 4-hour strike next Friday, December 15, from 1 to 5 pm, organized to request the application of the collective labor agreement.

And not to leave any doubt, the letter adds: “All Ryanair pilots and the cabin crew must report as usual on December 15th in the crew room, because every action taken by each employee will result in the immediate loss of the roster 5/3 (the shift involving 5 days of work and 3 days of rest,) for the whole cabin crew.”

The Minister of Economic Development, Carlo Calenda, commented laconically on the case: “It is unworthy. It is not my sphere of responsibility, but I think we should intervene. You cannot stay in a market, take advantages and do not respect the rules and workersโ€™ rights.”

The spreading disobedience

But the possible inconveniences for the company and its passengers can also come from Dublin, where a pilot strike is announced for December 20. The position of the air carrier, which in a note is said to be surprised by the threat of Ialpa, the acronym of Aer Lingus inside the Impact union, of “interrupting flights under Christmas when Ialpa numbers confirm that it has the support” less than 28% of Ryanair’s more than 300 Dublin-based pilots and when Ryanair’s bases in Belfast, Cork and Shannon have already agreed on a 20% pay increase.โ€

For Dublin-based pilots who will participate in this agitation, the company warns that “they will violate the agreements made and lose the agreed benefits.” And it is not over because the low-cost airline must also face the protest of the German pilotsโ€™ union, Vereinigung Cockpit, which calls for the application of the collective labor agreement.

The German trade union has spoken of a strike that begins “from now on at any time,” except for the Christmas season, from December 23 to 26,โ€ underlining that the pilots will go on until Ryanair does not adhere to the national contract.

In short, a real toll of arms on a continental scale since in no country Ryanair recognizes independent trade union representatives, so much so that in some countries such as Spain, Sweden, Portugal and the Netherlands, local employment councils have been created.

About the author

Avatar of Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy

Mario Masciullo - eTN Italy

Mario is a veteran in the travel industry.
His experience extends worldwide since 1960 when at the age of 21 he started exploring Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
Mario has seen the World Tourism develop up to date and witnessed the
destruction of the root/testimony of the past of a good number of countries in favor of modernity/progress.
During the last 20 years Mario's travel experience has concentrated in South East Asia and of late included the Indian Sub Continent.

Part of Mario's work experience includes multi activities in the Civil Aviation
field concluded after organizing the kik off of for Malaysia Singapore Airlines in Italy as an Institutor and continued for 16 years in the role of Sales /Marketing Manager Italy for Singapore Airlines after the split of the two governments in October 1972.

Mario's official Journalist license is by the "National Order of Journalists Rome, Italy in 1977.

Share to...