Ryanair pilots have agreed to take a 20% pay cut as part of efforts to avoid up to 3,000 job cuts at Europe’s biggest budget airline. The pilots’ union Balpa announced on Wednesday that 96% of its Ryanair members had voted to accept the temporary pay cut in order to “save jobs that were under threat” due to the collapse in demand for flights in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. “This is a terrible time for aviation and for employees in all airlines,” Brian Strutton, Balpa’s general secretary said. “It was our members’ mandate for us to save as many jobs as possible. In the circumstances this is the right thing to do even if it means accepting difficult temporary reductions in pay.”
The pilots agreed to the pay cut deal hours after Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, made public an ultimatum that a total of 3,000 job losses could only be avoided if all staff agreed to pay cuts. The deal with Ryanair’s pilots saves 260 jobs that were at risk. Ryanair had said a total of 330 pilot jobs were at risk. Negotiations with cabin crew and other staff continue, lower paid cabin crew have been asked to sacrifice 5% of their pay.
The union said Ryanair had agreed that pay will be restored to 100% over the next four years. Strutton added: “We do not relish accepting pay cuts and this is going to be tough for many of our pilot members. But we are at least pleased to have ensured that the overwhelming number of pilots whose jobs were at risk will continue to be employed.”
Source: Guardian
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