Ryanair strikes: Irish pilots’ walkout scrapped after High Court ruling

Irish court grants injunction

(PA)

A planned strike by Ryanair’s Irish pilots will not go ahead this week after a ruling from the Dublin High Court was issued this morning.

The Irish court said it would grant Europe’s biggest airline an injunction to prevent a 48-hour stoppage beginning on 22 August.

Justice McDonald said he would restrain the union “from directly or indirectly, organising, directing or endorsing their members to participate in a strike on 22 and 23 August 2019”.

Some 180 members of Irish pilots’ union Ialpa voted in favour of industrial action during the busy summer holiday period, but Ryanair sought an injunction against parent union Forsa through the High Court based on a technicality.

Ryanair’s legal counsel told the High Court that Forsa hadn’t allowed for the mediation process to be completed before announcing the strike, and claimed the walkout would be in breach of an agreement made between the airline and the union last year.

Ryanair said in a statement that it welcomed the decision, and that it would “come as a huge relief to thousands of Irish passengers and their families during the last week of the school holidays”.

It confirmed all flights would run as scheduled and passengers should arrive at the airport two hours before departure time.

Fórsa said in a statement it was ”grateful to Justice McDonald and the staff of the Court Service for the expeditious way they have dealt with this case.

“On foot of today’s ruling, the union has informed its members, who are directly-employed Ryanair pilots based in the Republic of Ireland, that the strikes planned for tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday (23 August) will not now take place.

“Once the union has the ruling in writing, we will consider it in detail and consult with our legal team. Only then will Fórsa be in a position to consider its next steps.”

The ruling will be good news for those booked to travel to and from Ireland over the next two days, but for those booked on UK inbound and outbound flights, the future is still uncertain.

Ryanair’s UK-based pilots who are member of British pilots’ union Balpa have also voted in favour of a 48-hour strike, starting on Thursday 22 August, plus another three-day walkout from 2 September.

The airline is seeking a separate injunction against Balpa to stop the industrial action from going ahead, which is currently being heard in London’s High Court.

Ryanair has called for the union to postpone the stoppage to allow time for the London High Court to hear Ryanair’s injunction, plus any subsequent appeal against the decision.

Europe’s biggest carrier is arguing in court that the proposed strikes aren’t legal as the correct process – which requires a meeting between Ryanair’s chief people officer Eddie Wilson and Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton, and meetings with conciliation service Acas – wasn’t followed before industrial action was announced.

Mr Wilson called the strikes “unjustified and unnecessary”.

Flights are continuing to be sold on those days, with passengers still in the dark as to whether scheduled services will go ahead.

Balpa has said it is “worrying” to see Ryanair continue to sell tickets for strike days.