Q&A on Ryanair and unions: 60% of pilots are on non-typical contracts
According to an EU-funded report in 2015, 34% of pilots flying for the airline have direct employment contracts. A further 27% reported as being self-employed, 18% said they worked via another company and 10% said they came through a temporary work agency.
With more than 60% of pilots being on non-typical contracts, this means that they can only take industrial action against their direct employer.
A landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2007, in favour of Ryanair, saw the airline refuse to co-operate with the Labour Court. Ryanair said it had its own employee representative councils (ERCs). The ruling undermined unions’ ability to have a foothold in private sector companies.
ERCs are in-house committees where staff can have issues addressed.
While IALPA is a branch of the trade union Impact, it only represents a number of Ryanair pilots.
