Laurence Dollimore
PILOTS for Ryanair in Spain have threatened to take legal action.
They will announce a strike within days if certain assurances are not met over their employment rights.
The Spanish pilots’ union SEPLA has written to Ryanair accusing management of failing to negotiate in good faith since formally recognising unions before Christmas.
SEPLA has told the Ireland-based airline if a meeting is not held by January 26, next Friday, to regularise the rights of Ryanair pilots in accordance with Spanish regulations, the union will proceed to initiate ‘all legal actions that Spanish labour law grants us in defence of our legitimate rights’.
In the letter, SEPLA says it is surprised and disappointed at documentation received from management, which continues to link payment of a 20% pay rise to conditions which pilots find unacceptable.
Pilots have blasted the airline for insisting on maintaining a system of 87 individual Employee Representative Councils which has been rejected by pilots in favour of union representation.
The letter accuses Ryanair of acting in bad faith by making the pay increases conditional on accepting what it calls ‘a workers representation contrary to our labour law’.
SEPLA calls on Ryanair to apply the 20% increase to all their pilots operating in Spain from September 1 without making it conditional on ‘renouncing to the legal workers representation recognized in our legislation’.
The letter concludes: “If by January 26th a new meeting has not been held in order to regularize the rights of Ryanair pilots operating in Spain in accordance with Spanish regulations, we will proceed to initiate all legal actions that Spanish labour law grants us, in defense of our legitimate rights.”
