Ryanair strikes: Thousands face travel chaos as pilots set for summer holiday walkouts

‘No pilot wants to spoil the public’s travel plans but at the moment it seems we have no choice’

Thousands face travel chaos as Ryanair pilots plan to stage walkouts during the summer holidays.

There will be a two-day strike from just after midnight on 22 August until just before midnight on 23 August, according to the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA).

A second walkout will then be held from the early hours of 2 September until just before midnight on 4 September.

Balpa said 79.5 per cent of the votes cast backed the action, which was triggered by a dispute over pay and working conditions.

A union statement said: “Decades of Ryanair refusing to deal with unions has resulted in two things.

“Firstly, a management that apparently doesn’t understand how to work with unions, and secondly a company that doesn’t have a number of standard agreements that any union would reasonably expect in any workplace.

“That is why our claim includes many issues including pensions; loss of license insurance; maternity benefits; allowances; and a fair, transparent, and consistent pay structure.

“We have made no progress with Ryanair management on any of those areas at all, seemingly because Ryanair management cannot understand how to go about working with us constructively, or how to negotiate. Ryanair has made no offer to Balpa in respect of its pilots.”

Brian Strutton, Balpa’s general secretary, added: “We have had no formal offer from Ryanair and it is imperative that we resolve this dispute urgently to avoid strike action.

“No pilot wants to spoil the public’s travel plans but at the moment it seems we have no choice.”

Balpa members at British Airways have also voted to take industrial action in a separate dispute over pay.

Talks between the union and the airline will be held on Thursday under the chairmanship of the conciliation service Acas.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said the airline did not expect any travel chaos and that alternative flights or refunds would be arranged for customers affected by the strikes.

The airline said in a statement: “We are urging Balpa to return to talks and avoid this ill-judged and ill-timed industrial action.

“Should this potential strike action go ahead, any customers who may be impacted will be notified by email/SMS and will be re-accommodated (or refunded) onto alterative flights.”