Ryanair flights from the Netherlands will continue on Friday despite a strike by pilots.
Pilot’s union VNV announced earlier that Dutch pilots working for the Irish airline planned to strike for 24 hours on Friday. A court in Haarlem sided with the employees after Ryanair attempted to block the planned strike legally.
Chaos for holidaymakers seemed likely in light of the court’s decision, and Ryanair stated in court that many flights would have to be cancelled. However, the Dublin-based airline later said on social media that flights would operate as scheduled.
Of 28 flights scheduled to leave from Eindhoven Airport, 11 were to be flown by Dutch pilots. Ryanair plans to fill the gaps in its rota with pilots from other countries, avoiding any cancellations.
In a statement, the airline said “There will be no cancellations as a result of the unnecessary strike action taken by the Dutch pilot’s union”. The budget airline also referred to strikes by other European staff in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden as “regrettable” and “unjustified”.
Ryanair’s terms of employment are the main cause of the ongoing conflict with its staff. The VNV highlights “bogus self-employment” and wants pilots to receive sick pay. In addition to this, Dutch pilots working for Ryanair are subject to Irish employment law, rather than Dutch law. No significant progress has been made, despite eight months of negotiations.
Update for Friday August 10th: pic.twitter.com/g9qWugyRr0
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) August 9, 2018
Dutch Customer Notice: pic.twitter.com/PxMxuo5TmN
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) August 9, 2018
Source: Studio040
Translation: Nicola
