Ryanair tells union to call off strike
The Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association, part of Impact trade union, had insisted on a meeting before calling off the strike by its pilot members in Ryanair in order to “clarify issues and make progress”.
However, Ryanair said in a statement: “The Impact union promised to call off the strike if Ryanair conceded recognition. They’ve gotten our offer of recognition in writing and we’re happy to meet them next week, which itself is the first act in recognising Ialpa.
“The sensible course of action is for Ialpa to meet with Ryanair next Wednesday, but call off the unnecessary threats of disruption to the Christmas flights of thousands of customers.”
There was widespread surprise that a company so vehemently opposed to unions would issue a statement yesterday morning in which it said it had written to the pilot unions in Ireland, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal inviting each of them to talks “to recognise these unions as the representative body for pilots in Ryanair in each of these countries”.
It did add the proviso that it would require unions to establish “committees of Ryanair pilots to deal with Ryanair issues, as Ryanair will not engage with pilots who fly for competitor airlines in Ireland or elsewhere”.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said the airline wanted to remove any worry or concern that they may be disrupted by pilot industrial action next week.
“If the best way to achieve this is to talk to our pilots through a recognised union process, then we are prepared to do so,” he said, adding that recognising unions “will be a significant change for Ryanair”.
Mr O’Leary said management “will now deal with our pilots through recognised national union structures and we hope and expect that these structures can and will be agreed with our pilots early in the new year”.
Impact trade union, through the Ialpa, represents those pilots directly employed by the airline who were threatening to strike next Wednesday.
On the back of the correspondence from Ryanair, it insisted an immediate meeting between management and the union was now necessary.
“Impact has indicated its availability to meet with Ryanair management today — or at any time over the coming weekend — to discuss these matters,” it said, just hours before Ryanair confirmed its determination that there would be no meeting before Wednesday.
Yesterday, Ryanair’s shares dived by more than 7.5%, meaning €1.5bn was instantly wiped from the airline’s value — as investors tried to get to grip on the costs implications for Ryanair.
However, in the context of Ryanair still being valued at around €18bn even after yesterday’s shares plunge, the effects may be limited, according to Brian Lucey of Trinity College Dublin.
