Ryanair redundancy threat over pay
by Niall Shanahan
 
Fórsa official Ashley Connolly said: “Fórsa has continued to engage with Ryanair throughout the Covid-19 crisis. The union’s objective has always been to protect jobs and incomes to the greatest extent possible."
Fórsa official Ashley Connolly said: “Fórsa has continued to engage with Ryanair throughout the Covid-19 crisis. The union’s objective has always been to protect jobs and incomes to the greatest extent possible."

Ryanair has this week continued to put considerable pressure on its staff to accept pay cuts over a five-year term, despite its own forecasts of returning to growth next year.

 

The company has formally initiated a consultation period on redundancies at the airline.


The airline attracted a lot of media attention this week as it pushed for a reduction in social distancing measures to facilitate a resumption of its flight schedules.


At the same time the company issued letters to all its cabin crew to say their jobs were vulnerable to redundancy because Fórsa had refused to accept a 10% pay cut over five years.


Yesterday (Thursday) the airline confirmed it will initiate a consultation with Fórsa on the selection criteria for redundancies, and ways in which redundancies might be mitigated, under the terms of the Employment Act (1977).

 

Ryanair said the total number of redundancies could be 220. Currently the airline employs 584 staff in Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.


Fórsa official Ashley Connolly said: “Fórsa has continued to engage with Ryanair throughout the Covid-19 crisis. The union’s objective has always been to protect jobs and incomes to the greatest extent possible.


“We fully recognise the enormity of the impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry. We have therefore sought to present genuine and constructive proposals designed to retain the link between employer and employee in a way that would facilitate retaining the greatest possible number of jobs in these unique circumstances.


“Equally, we’ve made proposals designed to protect incomes for lower paid staff. It would appear that Ryanair has rejected these proposals in favour of longer term pay cuts and layoffs, at a time when the industry is receiving unprecedented public support in regard to wage costs.

 

"While Ryanair foresees a return to growth next year, it nevertheless is seeking to impose pay cuts over a five year term,” she said.


Fórsa is continuing to engage with Ryanair management. The Government’s coronavirus-related wage subsidy scheme remains in place until 21st June, but it’s widely expected to be extended beyond that date.

 

 

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