UK Pilots to strike in 48 hour and 60 hour walkouts
Ryanair pilots in the UK have voted to stage a series of strikes in a row over pay and conditions.
Pilots that are members of the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) will stage a walkout for 48 hours on 22nd August 2019 and again on the 2nd September for 60 hours.
BALPA says that the disagreement between Ryanair and its UK Pilots centres around pensions, loss of license insurance, maternity benefits, allowances and pay structure.
Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary, said “We have had no formal offer from Ryanair and it is imperative that we resolve this dispute urgently to avoid strike action. No pilot wants to spoil the public’s travel plans but at the moment it seems we have no choice.”
The news of the strike action comes on the same day as it emerged Ryanair planned to close its base at Faro, Portugal with the loss of 220 jobs.
The base, which services several flights to UK airports, will close in 2020.
The Portuguese union that represents cabin crew, SNPVAC , had called for a strike by local staff on the 25th August as the according to the Union the airline is still breaking local parental rights laws.
Ryanair’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael O’Leary, recently announced in a video message to staff that the airline would need to cut around 900 jobs over the coming winter.
