Portuguese pilots join strike against Ryanair on December 20

  • ECO News
  • 13 December 2017

According to the airline pilots, the major complaint is the "established fear and bullying culture" the company enforces on workers. New strikes are not excluded from the picture.

Portuguese Ryanair pilots will join the strike against Ryanair scheduled for December 20, announced, this Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Pilots’ Union (SPAC). The union is accusing the airline of enforcing a “culture of fear” and “bullying” on its workers.

The tension between workers and the administration has been going on since the Summer, when a poor management of pilots’ vacations forced Ryanair to cancel several flights, leaving thousands of passengers flightless. Since then, pilots have demanded higher incomes, more training, health insurance and benefits such as housing and transports or uniforms payed by the company.

Nonetheless, the negotiations did not satisfy pilots, such as explained by the Portuguese Union, this Wednesday. “Because the administration’s failure in speaking with the pilots representatives, we have called for a 24 hour strike for pilots based in Portugal for December 20th of 2017″, can be read in a press release sent to newsrooms.

"It is especially concerning that the management prefers to cancel airplanes during the peak of the Summer of 2018, than to communicate with the pilots and find a solution for the problems with the airplanes. ”

Civil Aviation Pilots' Union (SPAC)

SPAC highlights Ryanair’s refusal to “negotiate fairly and transparently with pilots” and criticizes the airline’s management. “It is especially concerning that the management prefers to cancel airplanes during the peak of the Summer of 2018, than to communicate with the pilots and find a solution for the problems with the airplanes”.

Pilots state that the administration has shown nothing but “daily threats towards pilots, which are clear signs of a negative culture concerning human resources”. Therefore, the union is open to cancel the strike if Ryanair is open to have a “constructive dialogue, aiming for a collective negotiation” and to a “commitment to end the established culture of fear and bullying about its team”.

For now, the 20th of December is the only day scheduled for the strike, but SPAC opens the door to new protests “if Ryanair continues to refuse negotiating constructively”.