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IRELAND-AVIATION-STRIKE
Ryanair cancels 150 flights on Friday due to strike across Europe
LONDON, Sept 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Ryanair will cut 150 flights because of
strike action across Europe on Friday, as Brussels urged it to respect
workers’ rights enshrined in EU law.
The Dublin-based carrier said that it would cancel six percent of flights
amid the walk-outs in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. It
had previously estimated 190 would be affected.
Germany’s pilots’ union said it would support the strike action, while the
country’s cabin crew union said it would announce on Thursday evening whether
German Ryanair crew would join Friday’s walkout.
Trade unions have claimed that Friday’s 24-hour stoppage will be the
biggest strike in the Irish carrier’s history.
Ryanair said in a statement that the vast majority of its 2,400 flights on
Friday “will be unaffected by these unnecessary strikes and will operate as
scheduled”.
All affected customers received email and text message notifications on
Tuesday to advise them of cancellations and options, Ryanair said.
“We sincerely apologise to those customers affected by these unnecessary
strikes on Friday which we have done our utmost to avoid,” it said.
Ryanair staff have been seeking higher wages and an end to the practice
whereby many have been working as independent contractors without the
benefits of staff employees.
Another key complaint of workers based in countries other than Ireland is
the fact that Ryanair has been employing them under Irish legislation.
Staff claim this creates huge insecurity for them, blocking their access to
state benefits in their country.
EU Social Affairs Commissioner Marianne Thyssen said on Wednesday air crews
should be employed under contracts from the country where they work.
“Respecting EU law is not something over which workers should have to
negotiate, nor is it something which can be done differently from country to
country. I made this very clear to Mr O’Leary today,” Thyssen said in a
statement after a meeting between Ryanair’s combative chief executive Michael
O’Leary and EU officials.
“The internal market is not a jungle; it has clear rules on fair labour
mobility and worker protection. This is not an academic debate, but about
concrete social rights of workers.”
At a press conference O’Leary called for the cancellation of the strike,
threatening to shrink Ryanair’s fleet at two Brussels airports if it went
ahead.
Last month, Ryanair pilots across Europe staged a coordinated 24-hour
strike to push their demands for better pay and conditions, plunging tens of
thousands of passengers into transport chaos at the peak of the busy summer
season.
In July, strikes by cockpit and cabin crew disrupted 600 flights in
Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, affecting 100,000 travellers.
This week, Ryanair signed deals with cabin crew unions in Italy to provide
employment contracts under Italian law.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0901 hrs