LONDON, Jan 30 (AFP): Ryanair said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with the British Airline Pilots Association that formally recognises a pilots' union for the first time.
"This is the first formal union recognition agreement Ryanair has signed," a spokesman for the Irish no-frills airline told AFP following news of the deal.
It comes after the Dublin-based carrier, which has suffered turbulence in recent months from aggrieved staff, announced earlier this month that its UK-based pilots had accepted pay increases of up to 20 per cent.
Ryanair's head of personnel, Eddie Wilson, welcomed the move to formally recognise the union.
"The fact that we have delivered pay rises of up to 20 per cent and union recognition for our pilots in our largest market, shows how serious Ryanair is about working constructively with unions that are willing to work constructively with us," he said.
Ryanair suffered a troubled end to 2017, with it forced to cancel 20,000 flights through to March this year, mainly because of botched holiday scheduling for pilots.
The fiasco triggered pilots' demands for better working conditions and representation, with some departing for other carriers.
The discontent also saw Ryanair hit by its first-ever strike by pilots, with German staff staging a short stoppage ahead of Christmas.
BALPA welcomed news that it will be recognised as the sole trade union for Ryanair's 600 employed pilots that are based in the UK.
The voluntary recognition deal will see the union's representatives involved in future negotiations on hours, holidays, pay and rostering.
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