On 25 and 26 July, Ryanair cabin crew in four countries will take industrial action after their grievances have been repeatedly ignored by the company. ITF and ETF affiliates CNE/LBC in Belgium, FILT CGIL and UIL TRASPORTI in Italy, and SITCPLA and USO in Spain are coordinating strikes in full compliance with their respective national laws.
The actions will take place three weeks after the first ever Ryanair Crew Summit in Dublin, at which workers from across the airline’s network produced a Ryanair Crew Charter outlining their demands.
This provided a real opportunity for the company to engage with workers in good faith, but instead Ryanair lost no time in denouncing the demands as “pointless”. It is therefore unsurprising that our affiliates have felt the need to resort to industrial action to make their voices heard.
ITF and ETF support all lawful industrial action undertaken by our affiliates with the aim of winning a fair deal for workers. We demand that the company respects the fundamental right of cabin crew to strike, in line with well-established international norms on labour relations.
While the company has stated in a memo that striking workers will face no repercussions, it has also circulated a survey to workers asking about their intentions for 25 and 26 July. This could amount to intimidation aimed at preventing the free exercise of their trade union rights.
Additionally, any attempts by the company to obstruct the right to strike – including the dismissal of striking workers and inducements on other workers to break strikes – could contravene international norms on freedom of association.
ITF, ETF and our affiliates still hope that a summer of industrial action can be avoided by Ryanair negotiating in good faith to recognise trade unions and delivering concrete improvements in pay and conditions for workers. However, until the company takes the grievances of its workforce seriously further strikes remain probable.
