Pilots at Ryanair vote for strike action

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has announced two impending strikes by Ryanair’s pilots, the first for 48 hours between August 22 and August 23, and a second scheduled for 60 hours between September 2 and September 4. The walkouts relate to ongoing disagreements the Irish low-cost carrier has had with the pilots’ union BALPA over pensions, loss of license insurance, maternity benefits, allowances and pay structure, stating that the strike was as a result of “…decades of Ryanair refusing to deal with unions.” “We have had no formal offer from Ryanair, and it is imperative that we resolve this dispute urgently to avoid strike action,” said BALPA’s general secretary Brian Strutton. “No pilot wants to spoil the public’s travel plans but at the moment it seems we have no choice.” With Ryanair having reported a 21% drop in quarterly profits in July which it blamed on fuel and staff costs as well as a reduction in ticket prices, on July 31 the boss of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, announced that there would likely be up to 900 jobs cut, including pilots and cabin crew, at the end of the summer schedule.