The European Union’s top court has ruled that airlines will have to pay compensation to passengers for delays caused by wildcat strikes that arise from management decisions.
The decision was made by the EU Court of Justice yesterday after several cases bought by German airline TUIfly in connection with a 2016 wildcat strike.
The strike was in response to the airline’s announcement of a restructuring plan.
TUIfly tried to argue that the strikes were ‘extraordinary circumstances’ but the court said they were not beyond its control.
Judges said restructuring was part of normal business, and came with the risk of disagreements and industrial action by staff.
They also said making a distinction between wildcat strikes and trade unions strikes would make passenger compensation dependent on the rules in different EU countries, which could undermine air passenger rights.
