Ryanair given permission by Irish court to try to block pilot strike
RYANAIR has been granted permission by Ireland’s High Court to seek an injunction to prevent a two-day strike next week by its pilots in the country.
The airline is attempting to block 180 pilots it employs in Dublin from striking on Thursday and Friday after talks with unions broke down. The industrial action would coincide with a strike by its Uk-based pilots, which threatens to disrupt passengers’ plans ahead of the bank holiday, the busiest weekend of the year for domestic airports.
UK pilots also plan a three-day stoppage from Sept 2 after Ryanair failed to convince a court to block it. Staff in Portugal and Spain are plotting action that could cause further chaos.
Talks between the airline and the union representing the Dublin pilots ended this week. Ryanair called the pilots’ pay proposals “grossly unreasonable” and “unrealistic”. It said the strike had the support of less than 25pc of its Irish pilots, and that less than 30pc of its 1,250 UK pilots backed action.
Ryanair’s counsel told the court the planned stoppage breached last year’s deal between the sides and the strike was designed to cause “maximum disruption”, Irish media reported. The case will be heard on Monday. A Ryanair spokesman said: “We don’t comment on ongoing legal matters.”
Cabin and ground staff in Portugal are threatening a five-day strike on holidays and pay, due to overlap with actions in the UK and Ireland. Spanish flight attendants plan strikes at 13 airports on 10 dates in September after Ryanair said it would shut two bases, including its Canary Islands hub. Thirty jobs were saved at Laudamotion, its Austrian arm, after staff agreed to pay cuts and less flexible holidays.
Ryanair shares fell 1.6pc to close at €8.62 in London yesterday, the lowest in almost five years, as a broker note downgraded the firm on fears of disruption and risks from the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max. Ryanair ordered 58 but had to cut growth forecasts due to delivery delays of the plane.