"I applaud our affiliate union ver.di on signing a recognition deal with Ryanair. This is an important first step towards improving pay and conditions for German-based workers.
"The ITF and ETF have been campaigning with our civil aviation affiliates across Europe and North Africa to win a fair deal for Ryanair workers. Only two weeks ago, cabin crew met in Dublin for the first ever Ryanair Crew Summit and produced a Ryanair Crew Charter setting out their demands.
"This recognition deal won by ver.di represents another step on the journey to a better company. Crucially, the deal is subject to German rather than Irish or UK law, establishing the important precedent that national law and jurisdiction should apply in each country where the airline operates. This has been a key demand of workers and unions from the outset of the campaign.
"However, recognition is only the beginning. From low pay to draconian sales targets, the company has a long way to go before it can be considered a fair employer. Especially in a week when Ryanair is scrambling to sign these deals ahead of industrial action, the company must prove that recognition means something more than words on a page and instead delivers concrete improvements for workers.
"While the company has signed promising recognition deals with ver.di in Germany and Unite in the UK, it is severely lagging behind in other jurisdictions. That is why our affiliates in Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Spain have had to resort to industrial action to make their voices heard. This campaign will not be over until Ryanair workers across the network have won a fair deal."
