Ryanair flightcrew represented by the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA) are to begin a 24h strike on 12 July.
The union says 99% of members voted in favour of action amid a dispute over Ryanair's approach to transferring pilots between European and African bases.
IALPA complains that there is "no transparent system" governing such transfers. "When a pilot receives notice of a mandatory base change or is denied a request for a change of base, such management decisions can have a devastating effect on family life," adds the union, which is seeking a seniority agreement that would allow pilots to understand their base assignments, transfers and leave allocations.
Having requested talks in earlier correspondence, IALPA signals that it reams "available and willing to engage on the issues".
German pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit has meanwhile indicated intent to hold its own talks with Ryanair this month in a bid to resolve am impasse that has prompted an ongoing strike ballot.
VC says that Ryanair management has "for the first time" signalled "mobility" as regards structural issues that led to the failure of negotiations toward a collective bargaining agreement. However, management's "clear message", as detected by the union, is that any deal should not add to personnel costs. VC considers this a "clear rejection" because it renders impossibly any increase in staff or salaries to alleviate the "burden" on pilots..
"We do not need any collective bargaining agreement to establish the status quo," states VC's chairman of collective bargaining policy Ingolf Schumacher.
Members are to be balloted by the end of July, and discussions with the carrier will be undertaken in the meantime, Schumacher indicates. "Talking to each other is always important," he states. "We have experienced some surprise at Ryanair in the last few months. Maybe we will make a turn for the better – even if it does not look like it."
Ryanair today disclosed that in June some 210,000 of its customers were affected by flight cancellations caused by "four weekends of ATC strikes and repeated UK, German and French ATC staff shortages".
The airline is calling for "urgent action" by the European Commission and the governments of the respective nations.
Despite the disruption, Ryanair's passenger numbers were up 7% last month, and its load factor was 96%.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
