Ryanair “prepared to recognize” unions to avoid Christmas strike action

Low-cost airline Ryanair have agreed to recognize pilot unions in a bid to avoid pilot strike action across Europe over the Christmas period.

Dublin-based Ryanair pilots voted to take industrial action on 20 December over pay and poor working conditions, while German, Italian, and Portuguese pilots also threatened strikes over the coming week.

John T. Addison states in his IZA World of Labor paper on union power erosion that “declining union power” is associated with “rising earnings inequality and a loss of direct communication between workers and firms.” He suggests that policymakers should emphasize "experimentation and self-regulation, whereby a variety of systems, including the union option, are put up for adoption by the market.”

Since being founded in 1985, Ryanair has refused to recognize unions despite frequent reports of employee complaints and high staff turnover. Chief executive Michael O’Leary stated that union recognition would be a "significant change" for the carrier, but that "Christmas flights are very important to our customers and we wish to remove any worry or concern that they may be disrupted by pilot industrial action next week."

Read related articles on trade unions, collective bargaining, and the labor market or contact a topic spokesperson.