Ryanair pilots in Portugal call off this Wednesday’s strike

  • ECO News
  • 18 December 2017

Ryanair has now acknowledged unions and, in exchanged, pilots will no longer go on strike during the high season.

Pilots from Ryanair decided to suspend the strike schedules for December 20, according to a press release disclosed this Sunday by the Civil Aviation Pilots’ Union (SPAC).

“The Civil Aviation Pilots’ Union (SPAC) notifies that the strike for Ryanair pilots in Portugal scheduled for December 20 has been suspended. Ryanair’s decision to acknowledge SPAC as an organization that represents its pilots in Portugal and their commitment to start negotiations aiming to reach a company agreement has led to this decision”, is stated in the press release.

The low cost airline has shown this Friday they were available to negotiate with pilots’ unions, which was the first time they acknowledged them as participants in the dialog with the company. Ryanair’s goal is to avoid a strike during the Christmas period, scheduled in several European countries, including Portugal.

In a press release disclosed this Friday, Ryanair’s administrator Michael O’Leary stated the sent letters explaining the decision to pilots’ groups from Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Ireland, inviting them to take part in the conversation with the company. “Ryanair will change the previous policy of not acknowledging unions in order to avoid threats for clients during the Christmas week”, it is stated.

The letter, sent on the day Italian pilots were supposed to go on strike, managed to cancel the four-hour strike. A group of pilots in Portugal and in Ireland had organized a 24-hour strike for next Wednesday, December 20, but Portugal has called-off the strike.