Ryanair Invites FORSA To Meeting After 4th Strike By 25% Of Irish Pilots On Fri 3 August

30 Jul 2018

Ryanair Calls On FORSA To Explain Why More Irish Customers Are Being Disrupted When Ryanair Has Agreed To 9 Of 11 FORSA Requirements

Ryanair today (30 July) invited FORSA and its Pilot Committee to meet to discuss FORSA’s requirements, after next Fridays 4^th strike by just 25% of Irish pilots, which has disrupted another 3,500 Irish customers flights. Since all these passengers have now been re-accommodated or refunded, these 20 cancelled flights (out of 300) cannot be restored even if this 4^th strike is called off, as the damage to Ryanair’s Irish business has already been done.

Ryanair also released details of FORSA’s 11 requirements, 9 of which have already been agreed by Ryanair. Only 2 of these, no.6 (which would limit Ryanair’s growth and F.O. promotions), and no.11 (which FORSA cannot explain because it contradicts no.7 & no.10) are not agreed. Given how much Ryanair has already agreed to, it is irresponsible of FORSA to call repeated strikes of Irish pilots and refuse to meet Ryanair (as they did last Tuesday), which has damaged Ryanair’s Irish business and led to 300 pilots and cabin crew receiving protective notices.

Ryanair’s COO Peter Bellew said:

“The 20 cancelled flights next Friday cannot be recovered even if this unnecessary (4^th) strike is called off. We hope FORSA will accept our invitation to meet either next Saturday (4^th) or any day the following week commencing Mon 6 Aug, as long as no more strikes are called while we meet, and no Aer Lingus pilots are involved in these negotiations.

FORSA’s call for a meeting lacks credibility when we invited them to meet us last Wednesday, and their only response was to refuse, and instead call a 4^th strike. We apologise to the 3,500 Irish customers (whose 20 flights next Fri have been cancelled), but who have now been re-accommodated or refunded. We share their frustration at these strikes (by just 25% of Irish pilots), which are unnecessary when we have already agreed to 9 of FORSA’s 11 requirements.”

Ryanair Calls On Forsa To Remove Aer Lingus Pilot From The Process If Further Strikes Are To Be Avoided

27 Jul 2018

Ryanair today (27 July) called on the FORSA union to remove Aer Lingus pilot, Captain Evan Cullen, from interfering in the negotiation between Ryanair, Forsa, and Ryanair pilots.

Ryanair has already submitted written proposals to FORSA agreeing to master seniority list for its Irish pilots, base transfers, and annual leave proposals, and these written proposals agree all 9 of the 11 FORSA requirements. There’s only 2 left that FORSA can’t explain because they contradict each other and damage Irish pilots (see attached).

Ryanair believes that FORSA is not in control of this process. FORSA is being misled by, and deferring to, an Aer Lingus pilot for decisions in this process, which helps to explain why Ryanair has signed recognition agreements with bigger unions in the UK, Italy, and Germany, but has made no progress in Ireland with a small group (just 25%) of Irish pilots.

To date, Ryanair has suffered 3 days of strikes by 25% of its Irish pilots. Instead of accepting Ryanair’s invitation to meet on Wed, FORSA called a 4^th strike day (next Friday 3^rd August). Ryanair has seen a downturn in air fares and forward bookings in Ireland. The direct beneficiary of these actions has been Aer Lingus, the company, which employs Captain Evan Cullen as a pilot. Ryanair’s Irish business, and Irish jobs are being damaged by this competitor pilot, and Aer Lingus is the direct beneficiary of his actions.

A Ryanair spokesperson said:

“The reason Ireland is the only country where Ryanair hasn’t made progress on union recognition is because the process is being organised by an Aer Lingus pilot. FORSA are not in control, because they are deferring to an Aer Lingus pilot on issues that affect Ryanair pilots. It’s time that FORSA removed the interference of this Aer Lingus pilot and got down to serious negotiations on behalf of Ryanair pilots with Ryanair.

In other European countries, the unions have gone to great lengths to ensure that competitor pilots are not involved in Ryanair’s union negotiations. In Ireland, FORSA have failed to remove Aer Lingus pilots from the process, which is like a Dunnes Stores Manager negotiating with Tesco’s on behalf of Tesco’s workers. It simply wouldn’t happen, yet FORSA are allowing it with Ryanair. We respectfully disagree with FORSA’s denial that “any Aer Lingus pilots are involved in the industrial dispute at Ryanair”.

To prove this point, Ryanair publishes (attached) clear evidence of Aer Lingus Captain Evan Cullen’s involvement in this process. He wrote to Dublin Airport back in June warning them of “a series of one or two day strikes (by Ryanair pilots) during the months of July and August”- even before any Ryanair strike ballot was concluded -, and this threat has now been carried out. Captain Cullen also asked the DAA to contact him “directly” if they require any further info. No progress can be made to resolve this matter until FORSA removes this Aer Lingus pilot from interfering in this dispute. FORSA must solely represent the Ryanair pilot’s interests of Ryanair pilots and not the interests of Aer Lingus pilots and their employer Aer Lingus, where bookings benefit directly from Ryanair pilot strikes in Ireland.”

Ryanair To Cut Dublin Based Fleet By 20% From 30 To 24 For Winter 2018

25 Jul 2018

90 Day Protective Notice Issued To Over 100 Dublin Based Pilot & 200 Cabin Crew Employees

At Least 6 Dublin Aircraft Switch To Growing Polish Charter Airline

Ryanair’s Board today (25 July) approved a plan to cut its Dublin based fleet from 30 to (at most) 24 aircraft for the winter 2018 season. These reductions have been driven by the rapid growth of Ryanair’s Polish charter airline, which is growing profitably in 2018, allied to a down turn in forward bookings and airfares in Ireland partly as a result of recent rolling strikes by Irish pilots, which has had a negative effect on (close-in) high fare bookings and forward air fares as consumer confidence in the reliability of our Irish flight schedules has been disturbed.

Ryanair’s Polish airline, Ryanair Sun, will now offer over 10 aircraft to Polish tour operators, more than double the 5 aircraft offered in Summer 2018. We expect few route closures from Dublin, although some routes may suffer frequency reductions.

In the light of these Dublin base cuts, Ryanair has today issued letters of (90 days) protective notice to over 100 pilots and over 200 cabin crew employees, whose services may not be required from 28 Oct onwards, due to this 20% reduction in the Dublin fleet this winter.

Ryanair will now begin the consultations with its people on redundancy, which, if redundancies are necessary, will be determined by Ryanair’s assessment of flight performance, productivity, attendances, and base transfer requests. Ryanair will be offering transfers to Poland (and possibly some other bases) to these Dublin based pilots and cabin crew employees for Winter 2018 in order to minimise any redundancies.

Ryanair’s COO Peter Bellew said:

“We regret these base aircraft reductions at Dublin for Winter 2018, but the Board has decided to allocate more aircraft to those markets where we are enjoying strong growth (such as Poland), and this will result in some aircraft reductions and job cuts in country markets where business has weakened, or forward bookings are being damaged by rolling strikes by Irish pilots. Ryanair operates a fleet of over 450 aircraft from 87 bases across Europe. We can only do so if we continue to offer low fares, reliable flight services to our customers, and if our reputation for reliability or forward bookings is affected, then base and potential job cuts such as these at Dublin are a deeply regretted consequence”.