Would End Strikes By Irish Pilots Against The Airline

Following 22-hours of negotiations, Ryanair has reached an agreement with its pilots' union Fórsa to end a series of strikes by Irish pilots.

The negotiations started Wednesday morning and concluded early Thursday, August 23. "Agreement has been reached between Fórsa and Ryanair in the pilots’ dispute," the union said in a statement posted to its website. "The proposed agreement will now go to ballot, with a recommendation for acceptance from Fórsa and its Ryanair pilot representatives," the statement said.

"The union has been asked by facilitator Kieran Mulvey to make no public comment while the ballot is conducted."

The BBC reports the pilots had sought changes in procedures for base changes and promotions, among other things. They also negotiated to have seniority included as a factor when making such decisions.

A portion of the carrier's 350 Irish pilots went out on strike for five days, which forced the cancellation of many flights on domestic routes. The airline threatened to cut its Dublin-based fleet and shift aircraft to its Polish airline, which would have affected hundreds of pilots and cabin crew.

Ryanair said on Twitter that it would take the Irish agreement to its board following the vote by union members.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report