Welcome home, Daddy

There were scenes of joy at airports across the country as people returned home for the festive period. Emily Donnelly (3) was reunited with her father Bobby Donnelly at Dublin Airport after he jetted home from San Francisco yesterday.

RYANAIR passengers on journeys out of Irish airports have been spared the threat of having their festive travel plans disrupted.

But passengers hoping to depart from German airports early today on Ryanair flights could have their flights thrown into disarray.

A four-hour strike is planned in Germany this morning by Ryanair pilots who are members of the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union.

The first Ryanair arrival at Dublin from Germany today is from Berlin, and pencilled in to arrive at 12.25pm.

No Ryanair arrivals from Germany are due at Cork today, and no flights currently operate to Shannon from Germany.

Ryanair confirmed to trade union Impact yesterday that it recognised the organisation as the representative of the airline’s pilots in Ireland for collective bargaining purposes, with immediate effect.

The two sides will meet again on January 3 “to agree a comprehensive recognition agreement that will establish collective bargaining procedures in the airline”, according to an Impact spokesman.

Ryanair declined to comment.

The union cautioned that it expected management to reach agreement on procedures quickly so that the parties could move on to negotiate substantial issues around pilots’ pay and working conditions.

Impact confirmed that the threat of industrial action in Ireland had receded for the present.

“This advance is good news for Ryanair pilots, passengers and shareholders,” said Impact official Ashley Connolly.

The union had set a deadline of midday yesterday to receive confirmation of its recognition from the airline.

But as the threat of industrial action in Ireland receded, German pilot union VC confirmed that Ryanair staff pilots who are members of the union will today strike from 5.01am local time in Germany to 8.59am.

The strike at the company will directly affect 16 Ryanair flights.

“We have to show Ryanair that the pilots mean it,” VC president Ilja Schulz said.

VC called the strike after what it said was a disappointing start to talks with Ryanair management in Dublin on Wednesday. VC said Ryanair rejected two of the five VC company council members present at the negotiating table at the Carlton Hotel near Dublin Airport.

“From VC’s point of view this refusal clearly shows that the principles of trade union autonomy are disregarded by Ryanair and that the company does not truly desire to enter into constructive negotiations,” it said.

The two sides are due to meet again on January 5.