1 February 2007

The Irish Supreme Court’s ruling that the Labour Court has jurisdiction to investigate IMPACT’s case against Ryanair sends a message that all workers in Ireland are entitled to professional representation and fundamental workplace rights, according to the union which took the case. It initially took the pilots’ case to the Labour Court under the 2004 Industrial Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which doesn’t compel companies to recognise unions, but gives the Labour Court powers to make binding rulings against non-union firms in certain circumstances.

Ryanair had refused to negotiate about the dispute, which concerns issues about training for a new fleet of aircraft. The case has been watched closely by other Irish and European trade unions.

Last year, the High Court also ruled against Ryanair in another case, in which the judge ruled that two senior Ryanair managers had given false evidence and he emphatically rejected the company’s claim that union members had bullied and intimidated other pilots. Saying the only evidence of bullying was by Ryanair itself, he awarded penal costs of €1 million against the company.