UNIONS MUST TALK TO HALT FURTHER STRIKES 3,500

Ryanair urges Forsa & pilots to resume negotiations now

RYANAIR has invited FORSA and the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association for fresh talks to avoid more strikes.

The budget airline claims it has met nine of the 11 demands and is blaming the trade union for disrupting the plans of thousands of travellers.

Around 100 Irish-based pilots are set to have their fourth 24-hour strike on Friday but Ryanair said 3,500 customers have already been accommodated after 20 flights were cancelled.

It added that even if the fourth strike is called off, the damage to its Irish business has already been done.

Ryanair also branded Forsa as “irresponsible” for calling more strikes and “refusing” to sit down for talks.

Airline spokesman Peter Bellew said: “The 20 cancelled flights next Friday cannot be recovered even if this unnecessary strike is called off.

“We hope Forsa will accept our invitation to meet either on Saturday or any day the following week commencing August 6, as long as no more strikes are called while we meet and no Aer Lingus pilots are involved in these talks. Forsa’s call for a meeting lacks credibility when we invited them to meet us last Wednesday, and their only response was to refuse.” Forsa spokesman Bernard Harbor said: “We regret the unnecessary disruption, which is the result of management’s unwillingness or inability to engage seriously on the issue.” Ryanair was hit with a further blow yesterday after its German-based pilots overwhelmingly backed strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions. However, it is unclear what form any potential industrial action might take. Ryanair confirmed part of its 20% profit fall was due to strike action.

Irish passenegers have been caught up in the industrial action