ECA welcomes the recent decision of the Irish High Court to allow the Labour Court to look into Ryanair pilots' complaints about their terms and conditions.

Ryanair, which has a strong anti-union stance, has been refusing to negotiate directly with trade unions, thereby denying pilots their right choose how to bargain collectively. In a recent move, Ryanair offered a pay increase to its employees, except for those belonging to a trade union.

While Ryanair is reportedly going to challenge this ruling, the High Court decision marks an important victory for the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) and their pilots. It also sets a positive backdrop to more than 200 victimisation claims made by Ryanair pilots, which could expose the airline to multi-million financial claims.

ECA considers social dialogue and collective bargaining as the fundamental basis for a fruitful win-win relationship between employers and their employees, enabling airlines to strive and be successful in the European market place and beyond.

For a summary of the High Court ruling and related cases see the following Press Articles.