BELGIUM: Ryanair Cabin Crew Union Reject Airline's Offer, Swear To Go On Strike As Planned

Ryanair Belgium cabin crew have rejected an offer from the Irish airline in regards to their recent complaints of local contracts. Strike action is still to go ahead later this month.

Ryanair cabin crew union CNE in Belgium have rejected the offer from the airline.

The airline offered to follow the employment law in Belgium until 2020 for any employees contracted.

This addresses one of the key concerns regarding the current policy which employs staff members according to Irish law, not contracted in their own country.

Ryanair has not yet issued an updated statement in regards to the recent claims.

They claim that the offer would only be good for half of the workers involved.

CNE union spokesman Yves Lambot told Irish Times: “It’s a deception on the part of Ryanair.”

If it goes ahead, the 24-hour walkout is to take place on 28 September.

Cabin crew members across all of Europe are expected to strike later this month in regards to complaints put forward.

Disagreements over hours and pay are some of the key issues put forward by the cabin crew unions.

Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands will also be on strike alongside Belgium on the 28 September.

They will strike once a month until their demands are met by the Irish airline.

The last cabin crew strike was the worst in Ryanair’s history, which resulted in hundreds of flights cancelled and 50,000 passengers affected.

Customers affected also reported their cheques regarding cancelled flights compensation bouncing, resulting in missed compensated fees.

Ryanair has experienced a wave of pilot strikes, mostly Irish pilots, in 2018 which lasted for many weeks.

Up to 20 flights a day were cancelled every Saturday for three months during the strikes in Ireland.

In a recent press conference, CEO Michael O’Leary warned that strike action would continue to happen to keep low fares for the airline.

He stated he would not back down against complaints: We will not be paying a 22 per cent pay increase to German pilots as we still pay more than other airlines such as Norwegian.

We want to reach agreements with our pilots but in some cases we have unions who have over promised and now can’t deliver.


Tourism Observer

BELGIUM: Ryanair Cabin Crew Staff From Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal Plan Strike, Sept 28

Ryanair cabin crew from five European countries will go on strike on September 28, threatening hundreds of flights in the latest round of a bitter tussle between unions and the budget airline’s management.

Staff from Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal announced a 24-hour stoppage that unions say will be the biggest strike in the Irish carrier’s history.

Ryanair workers, pilots, ground staff, and cabin crew are demanding better working conditions and want their contracts to be based on the law in their country of residence rather than in Ireland.

Unfortunately, discussions continue without results, Yves Lambot of Belgium’s CNE union says describing negotiations with Ryanair management.

They have promised to change our contracts into national contracts by 2022. This is too late for us. We want 2019.

A group of unions from the five countries issued a statement after meeting in Brussels, accusing the airline of disregarding the law and promoting a bullying culture, and saying management was incapable of maintaining a meaningful conversation during the talks.

In a letter addressed to European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and Social Affairs Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, the unions urged the EU executive to clarify its position on the dispute, and to help the company and unions reach an agreement.

News of the new walkout comes just a day after the Irish carrier was forced to cancel 150 out of 400 flights to and from Germany because of strike action by pilots and cabin crew there.

Ryanair slammed the German stoppage as unacceptable and unnecessary, and shortly before the announcement of the new action the airline insisted unions would fail in their bid to cause travel chaos.

The overwhelming majority of Ryanair’s flights and services that day will operate as normal, the company’s chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said in a statement.

A key gripe of workers based European countries, is that Ryanair employs them under Irish legislation.

They say this creates huge insecurity, blocking their access to state benefits in their own countries.

Late Thursday, cabin crew unions for Ryanair in Italy said they had reached a preliminary agreement that would allow workers to transition to Italian work contracts, with final details expected in the coming days.

Ryanair’s colourful chief executive Michael O’Leary struck a typically combative tone after the German strike, vowing not to bow to union pressure.

We are not easyJet, we will not roll over every time we are threatened with a strike, O’Leary said in London, mocking a rival low-cost carrier.

Ryanair has been clashing with worker representatives ever since it took the unprecedented step last year to start recognising trade unions in a bid to avert widespread Christmas strikes.

Last month, Ryanair pilots in five European countries, including Germany, held their first-ever simultaneous walkout, causing some 400 flight cancellations and travel chaos for 55,000 passengers.

The airline boasts lower costs per passenger than its competitors and is eyeing profits of about 1.25 billion euros ($1.45 billion) this year, but staff have long complained that they earn less than counterparts at rival carriers.

Ryanair has countered employee complaints by saying it has already offered significant pay increases and more local contracts.


Tourism Observer