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Scottish tribunal win for former Ryanair pilot
27 March 2008
A former Ryanair pilot has won an award of almost £70,000 (US$140,000) after an employment tribunal in Scotland found that he had been unfairly dismissed and his contract breached.
The employment tribunal first heard the case of Scotland-based pilot David Dillon in September last year. It upheld his claim against the low cost anti-union employer Ryanair for unfair dismissal and awarded him a maximum amount of £59,560 (US$119,000). Ryanair gave no reason for his dismissal.
The court also found that the company was in breach of contract: it had failed to promote Dillon in accordance with contractual dates, to pay him the salary increases he was entitled to receive on those dates and to award him a £300 (US$600) increment when it had been due. Ryanair also did not reimburse expenses that Dillon had claimed. The tribunal ordered Ryanair to pay £9,402 (US$19,000) for breach of contract.
Ingo Marowsky, ITF Civil Aviation Section Secretary, commented: "Employers breaching contracts and paying wages on a whim is unheard of in Europe. Ryanair must learn that there are rules to follow, and in terms of the workplace, they are best laid down in collective agreements: transparent, straightforward and suited to the needs of workers and employers. Other low cost operators do that already; Ryanair will follow suit or be confronted with more labour court disputes as they have been in the past all over Europe.”
Ryanair is expected to appeal the decision.
The ITF has spearheaded a campaign for union recognition and good pay and working conditions at Ryanair; this has been met with hostility from the company's management, but backed by many of its employees who have made anonymous contributions on the ITF website: http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/ryan-be-fair.cfm
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