Ryanair pilots in Ireland vote to strike

Union gives airline the weekend to come back with improved offer

Moving forward? Irish pilots have given Ryanair an untimatum (Aaron Chesham)

Pilots employed directly by Ryanair in Ireland have voted overwhelmingly to strike – unless the airline agrees to union pay proposals by Monday 12 August.

Members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) voted 94 per cent in favour of industrial action in a wide-ranging dispute over pay and working conditions.

Around 180 directly-employed Ryanair pilots based in Ireland, who are members of Ialpa, were eligible to vote in the ballot.

But rather than calling a strike – for which at least one week’s notice must be given – the union said it would write to Ryanair’s management early next week to outline plans for action unless an agreement can be reached. Ialpa says it is seeking pay levels and structures that are in line with sector norms. It says the airline, which posted profits of €1bn (£930m) last year, is in a healthy financial position and can fairly reward its pilots.

Ialpa is part of the Fórsa union, whose assistant general secretary, Ian McDonnell, accused the company of using stalling tactics in negotiations.

“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 €1bn last year,” said Mr McDonnell.

“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.

“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.”

The prospects of Ryanair providing a significantly improved offer look slim, judging by the combative tone of the airline’s response.

It said: “The result of Fórsa’s ballot shows that less than half of Ryanair’s Irish pilots are members of Fórsa, and less than 60 per cent of these Fórsa members participated in the ballot with less than 25 per cent of Ryanair’s Irish Pilots voting for industrial action. This disruption of customers holiday plans has no valid mandate from Ryanair’s Irish pilots.

“Fórsa are still unable to explain what pay increase they are seeking on top of the 20 per cent increase already agreed, at a time when Ryanair pilots resignations have dwindled to zero because Ryanair pilots are better paid than 737 competitors in Norwegian (who are cutting pilot pay and jobs) and Jet2 (who have frozen pilot pay in return for improved rosters).

“Fórsa should now continue mediation with Ryanair instead of threatening ill-judged and ill-timed industrial action with the sole intention of creating uncertainty for customers travelling during the late August period.”

Ryanair pilots employed in the UK already have announced a strike on 22 and 23 August and from 2 to 4 September.

Were a strike by Irish pilots to go ahead, the main UK routes affected would be those connecting Dublin across the Irish Sea.