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Union claims Ryanair is to axe up to 360 UK pilots
Ryanair has confirmed that it is planning to make up to 336 pilots in the UK redundant, according to pilots’ union BALPA.
It has also proposed 20% pay cuts for remaining crew and other reductions in their terms and conditions, said BALPA.
The union claims Ryanair has threatened to dismiss staff and re-engage them on revised terms if they don’t agree to the changes.
The redundancies represent around 10% of the 3000 job cuts Ryanair is planning to make across its network following a reduction in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It confirmed this week that it has made 250 office staff redundant in the Stansted, Dublin, Madrid and Wroclaw.
Confirmation of the pilot redundancies follows news that Ireland-based Ryanair has accepted a £600 million UK government-backed loan, despite its chief executive Michael O’Leary’s very public criticism of airlines receiving state aid.
Brian Strutton, BALPA general secretary, said "The hypocrisy of Ryanair taking £600 million in support from the British Government which it previously said it did not want is hardly surprising and neither is their cavalier treatment of loyal staff.
"The company is sitting on €4.1bn cash including this latest funding via the Bank of England, and its balance sheet is, in its own words, ‘one of the strongest in the industry’ yet it still wants to make redundancies and impose pay cuts.
"Our question is what assurances did the UK Government get from Ryanair about its workers before the Bank of England handed out the cash? Funding an airline whose own state isn’t offering a penny, when that airline goes on to treat its own staff like this, beggars belief."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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