Ryanair pilots across Europe are united in their determination to engage in meaningful and genuine Social Dialogue with management on issues of common concern to those who contribute to the airline’s success on a daily basis.
In order to allow pilots to consider Ryanair as an attractive employer, not just as a place to start but also as a place to continue their career, several key issues need to be tackled across the entire network. These include:
Ryanair pilot Company Councils and their unions must be able to choose who represents them at the negotiating table, rather than management wanting to dictate this. Representatives can include Ryanair pilots hired through broker agencies as well as official union representatives, irrespective of whether they fly for another airline or not.
Pilot representatives must have sufficient time off to adequately represent their fellow pilots. A universal agreement for ‘representation time’ is required, setting out rostered representation time to be provided by Ryanair, as well as other related arrangements.
> Contractor (agency) pilots must be provided with an immediate opportunity to move onto a direct employee contract, should they so wish, – which should become the standard.
> Pilots to be provided with contracts that are governed by the laws of the country in which pilots are based, rather than by Irish law as Ryanair currently maintains.
> A Master Seniority Agreement and associated Master Seniority List (MSL), with agreed details of how it will operate within and across national borders. This is to be linked to:
- a universal annual leave agreement, with locally adapted leave entitlements in accordance with national laws;
- a universal base transfer agreement;
- a universal promotion / upgrade agreement.
- National Collective Labour Agreements (CLAs), subject to the laws and the courts of the country in which they are based.
- An overall pay framework, providing a consistent & transparent pay structure for all pilots, with locally negotiated provisions & details to enable compliance with and optimisation of income tax & labour / social security legislation.
- A loyalty scheme to greatly assist pilot retention.
- Other issues, such as an agreement to deal with pilots Operating-Out-of-Base (OOB, incl. even distribution of assignments, arrangements for booking accommodation & transport, medical protection etc.); addressing unapproved changes to notification procedures re Flight Time Limitations (e.g. IDP App); agreed sick leave process; pension; etc.
