Ryanair’s Dublin pilots to strike pre-Christmas

Ryanair customers face disruption this Christmas after members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association served the airline with notice of a one-day strike on 20 December.

A majority of the 84 Ireland-based, directly employed pilots - most of them captains - voted to strike five days before Christmas in a move that will lead to flight cancellations and cost the airline a “substantial” amount of money, The Irish Times reports. It has not been announced which flights will be affected.

Pilots want a new collective bargaining system to replace employee councils formed in September following Ryanair’s rostering fiasco. The airline, which employs a total of about 360 pilots in Dublin, has refused to recognise a European Employee Representative Council established to represent Ryanair bases across the Continent, says the Irish Independent.

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Ryanair’s pilots in Italy are planning a four-hour stoppage on 15 December, and the German Airline Pilots Association warns that its members may also strike, Reuters reports. The timing of the German industrial action is unknown, but the union says no walkouts will occur between the afternoon of 23 December and midnight of 26 December. Portugal also approved strike action a week ago, but no date was set.

Ryanair argues that its existing representation structure fulfills its obligations and has the Supreme Court’s approval, says The Irish Times. The carrier also claims that pilots at many of its bases have voted for pay increases that would leave them better off than those flying for rivals such as Norwegian Air.