Ryanair pilots based in Ireland vote in favor of strike action

Ryanair pilots based in Ireland have voted in favor of taking strike action in a strike ballot held by union Forsa. The union says 94 percent of the members who took part in the ballot voted in favor of the industrial action over the pay, working conditions and related issues.

Some 180 directly-employed Ryanair pilots based in Ireland, who are members of Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa), were eligible to vote in the ballot. Ryanair pilots employed by agencies were not balloted.

The union, which is required to give at least one week’s strike notice, said it would write to management early next week to outline plans for action unless the airline agrees to union pay proposals by Monday (12th August). 

The union submitted a pay claim to the company in late March 2019, seeking pay levels and structures that are in line with sector norms. It says the airline, which posted profits of €1 billion last year, is in a healthy financial position and can fairly reward its pilots.

But Ryanair management has stalled in negotiations on pay and related matters since the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) submitted its claim. The airline has made no formal counter-proposal.

Forsa assistant general secretary Ian McDonnell said industrial action could be avoided if management at the airline engaged professionally and constructively in talks. He accused the company of stalling tactics in negotiations, where it had sought costings of the union’s claim and then failed to provide the operational information needed to make the calculations.

“Ryanair’s directly-employed Irish-based pilots are simply seeking pay levels that are common and competitive in the commercial airline sector, from a company that made a more-than-healthy profit of €1 billion last year.

“They feel they have been forced into contemplating potentially-disruptive industrial action by a company that seems either unwilling or unable to negotiate in a professional and constructive manner. At this stage, only a substantive counter-proposal, which properly addresses all areas of our claim, will be enough to prevent us serving notice of industrial action next week,” he said.

Forsa said it would not be making a further comment before next week, so as to give management space to respond to its claim.