Ryanair: The Union Busters Who Don’t Care Airline

Ryanair have announced that they will be cancelling around 50 flights a day for the next six weeks. Up to 8,500 people a day could have their travel plans thrown into chaos. Many more will be unsure whether or not to book with Ryanair.

Ironically, the company had been trying to run a PR campaign to improve its public image. The ‘Always getting better’ campaign was supposed to give an impression that the company really had some concerns about its passengers.

Ryanair claims that the reason for the cancellations is that it is having some problems with pilot rosters.

But the real story is that the union busting firm is having difficulties retaining its staff. In the last year  140 pilots have moved from Ryanair to Norwegian Air International.

The main reason is the disgraceful way that Ryanair treats its staff.

It has repeatedly refused to negotiate with the Irish Airline Pilots Association which has now become a branch of IMPACT.

It insists on individual contracts and has tried to pursue ILAP through the courts for using its logo.

Just last week, it lost a  case at the European Court of Justice after it tried to insist that staff that had grievances with it must pursue their case through an Irish court.

It was trying to force Belgium cabin crew to lodge a case in Dublin rather than their own country. Irish labour laws, it figured, are more lenient to corporations.

This treatment of staff has now rebounded on the airline and this is one of the underlying reasons why their flights plans are in such a mess.

It is a lesson that other union busting firms should learn.