On Friday August 3, 25% of Ryanair’s Irish pilots held a four strike that caused the airline re-accommodate or refund 3,500 passengers. In a statement, Ryanair said that it had held two meetings with Forsa and its pilots where 11 seniority issues were raised by the pilots. Ryanair said that it has broadly agreed nine of those issues and for the two outstanding issues, FORSA refused to engage or explain them, and “appear determined to generate a dispute in order to justify repeated unnecessary strike action,” according to Ryanair.
On July 30, Ryanair invited FORSA to meet on any date after the strike on August 3, which the airline said FORSA ignored and subsequently notified it of another strike by 25% of Irish pilots on August 10. In a statement Ryanair said that this “irresponsible action, designed to cause the maximum damage to Ryanair, more disruption and harm to its passengers, is indicative of FORSA’s agenda, which is not to seek a resolution of Ryanair pilots actual concerns, but rather to advantage its competitors and in particular Aer Lingus.” The statement continues to blame Aer Lingus pilot Capt. Evan Cullen for “controlling the FORSA agenda” and further accuses the individual of alleged attempts to influence the airline’s share price.
“Given the non-engagement by FORSA, and in particular the manipulation of the discussions by certain Aer Lingus pilots to ensure that no meetings take place, that unsuccessful strikes keep repeating, Ryanair now feels the only way to introduce common sense is by way of third party mediation, and to this end is suggesting Mr. Kieran Mulvey formerly of the Labour Commission and Workplace Relations Commission. His background and experience could be a positive influence. We now call on FORSA to accept Mr Mulvey as a third party mediator, an initiative FORSA have repeatedly called for in recent weeks.,” said Ryanair’s Chief People Officer Eddie Wilson.