March 30, 2005
Ryanair takes action over website
By Steven Downes, Times Online
A legal battle has begun at Ryanair over a website set up, according to unions, to help "hard-pressed" pilots working for the Irish budget airline exchange information about their working conditions.
Ryanair said it had launched legal proceedings over a campaign of "harassment and intimidation" of its pilots.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the legal action was "extraordinary" and was aimed at forcing it and the Irish Airline Pilots Association to divulge the names of pilots who had sent comments to the website.
Ryanair told its Dublin-based pilots last year that if they do not sign new contracts tying them to the company for five years, they will not be given training on the airline’s new fleet and could lose their jobs.
Pilots were also informed that they will be required to pay the full €15,000 cost of the training if they leave the airline before the five years has expired. Ryanair is planning to replace ten Boeing 737-200s, based in Ireland, with the larger and more fuel-efficient 737-800 by the end of 2005. More than 90 pilots in Dublin require retraining.
On the announcement of legal action against the website, Jim McAuslan, the general secretary of Balpa, today said: "We are surprised by Ryanair’s action which has come to us without any warning. We shall vigorously defend our position in refusing to divulge names of pilots who discuss with one another their problems and aspirations.
"Indeed we are advised there is no case to answer. Ours will certainly be a very robust defence. Civil aviation has always had an open culture - for instance, pilots can log with the Civil Aviation Authority any safety incidents or concerns they may have, and do this anonymously.
"This open culture has been of great benefit to our industry. If we have a disagreement with someone, we are open about it."
But Eddie Wilson, Ryanair’s director of personnel, said: "We will not under any circumstances allow any of our pilots or people to become the victims of an organised campaign of intimidation.
"High Court proceedings have been initiated and will be pursued until we identify those individuals making these threats, some of which include suggestions of criminal activity.
"This certainly isn’t the first time that Ryanair’s employees have been the victims of intimidation by members of trade unions at Dublin Airport, but we intend to make certain as a result of these High Court proceedings that it is the last.
"Dublin Airport should exist for the benefit of the travelling public, and not for the feather bedding the high salaries and restrictive practices of pilots, many of whom in Ryanair’s case earn over €130,000 per year."
Cheers,
White Cap
