Dublin — Ryanair’s Irish pilots suspended a planned strike, after Europe’s biggest low-cost carrier agreed to recognise their labour union. The Irish company wrote to pilot organisations in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal inviting each of them to talks "to recognise these unions as the representative body for pilots in Ryanair in each of these countries", it said last week. In response, pilots suspended a strike set for December 20. Impact, a labour union helping representing the pilots, said late on Sunday that it had agreed to meet management on Tuesday, but says it is available to meet sooner. In the e-mail statement, Impact said "it looked forward to establishing a positive relationship with Ryanair company management". The about-turn by CEO Michael O’Leary, who once said "hell would freeze over" before Ryanair unionised, reflects the intensity of the pressure pilot groups have put on the airline for recognition. The CEO had pledged higher pay and bonuses to ...
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