We’ll take your pilots, Ryanair warned by rival
As stakes are raised, striking workers targeted
RYANAIR’S striking Dublin pilots are being targeted for recruitment by a rival budget airline that has offered to fasttrack their applications should they choose to leave Ryanair.
It comes as the airline issued protective notice to 300 pilots and cabin crew this week as strikes continue over pay and conditions.
A senior manager at the airline, Norwegian Air, told the Irish Mail on Sunday that Ryanair is ‘shooting itself in the foot’, as there is a ‘worldwide shortage of pilots’ and Ryanair’s misfortune is their opportunity.
Airline is ‘shooting itself in the foot’
‘It’s crazy to be treating pilots like this. Everybody knows it’s a seller’s market when it comes to pilots’ services these days,’ he said. ‘They have all the cards because airlines simply can’t get enough pilots. From Asia, to Europe to North and South America, the story is the same.
‘If Ryanair sacks these pilots, we would snap every one of them up.’
The MoS has seen a message sent to all of Ryanair’s Dublin pilots on their WhatsApp group from Norwegian Airlines.
It reads: ‘Ryanair pilots will be fast tracked for recruitment. For those interested, you can contact [xxxxx] @norwegian.com directly. At the same time, please register at careers.norwegian.com.’
Ryanair on Wednesday issued 90 days’ protective notice to more than 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew based at Dublin Airport, blaming the impact of recent pilot strikes on Irish bookings and fares. The airline said its board had approved plans to cut its Dublin fleet to 24 aircraft from 30 next winter, and it will move the craft to Poland where its business is growing. It has not ruled out further job cuts if Irish pilots continue striking. However, a Ryanair pilot source said morale was high among the striking pilots. ‘There’s a feeling that this day has been a long time coming and pilots are not going to back down,’ he said. ‘Pilots have worked under appalling conditions at Ryanair and they know they don’t have to do that any longer.’ Ryanair pilots have given notice of a fourth day of industrial action out of Dublin next Friday, August 3, in a row over their terms and conditions.
The airline has now been forced to cancel 20 of its planned 300 flights, affecting 3,500 customers who have all been notified by email/SMS.
The pilots’ union, Fórsa, accused Ryanair of trying to put pressure on workers by issuing protective notice and insisted that this would harden pilots’ resolve.
‘Ryanair’s unnecessary decision to issue protective notice to 300 of its staff today is reckless and unnecessary, and demonstrates management’s unwillingness and/ or inability to implement the airline’s declared intention to agree working conditions with its staff by negotiating with their chosen trade union representatives,’ a Fórsa spokesman said this week.
Meanwhile, Ryanair admitted this weekend that the strikes were having a detrimental effect on its bookings. It has launched a 25% discount sale on flights scheduled for between August 1 and January 31 next.