Cockpit union accuses Ryanair of intimidation during ongoing collective bargaining round

Ryanair rejected the allegations. A company spokesperson said the airline would "not comment on individual cases." The airline also pointed to new five-year contracts that had recently been concluded in Italy, Romania, and Denmark. The group also stressed that it is "Europe's largest low-cost carrier," the company emphasized.

According to the union, the collective bargaining negotiations for German Ryanair pilots have been blocked for some time. "On several occasions, constructive proposals had been submitted that were rejected," the VC stated. The last collective agreement dates back to 2018; since then, the union has been demanding inflation compensation for the past years as well as salary increases for the two coming years.

Berlin base at the center of the dispute

The VC sees the announced closure of the Berlin base for autumn and the significant reduction of the flight schedule as a punitive measure. The background, according to the union, is resistance to new working time regulations at this location. Ryanair had previously made these plans public.

In parallel, according to Vereinigung Cockpit, preparations are underway for collective bargaining rounds in other European countries. "According to the announcement, collective bargaining negotiations will also start soon in other European countries," it said from Frankfurt. The pilot associations from eleven countries are coordinating within the Ryanair Transnational Pilot Group.

European pilots coordinate

The VC, together with other European pilot associations, has also expressed a vote of no confidence in Ryanair's management. This increases the pressure on the Irish low-cost carrier, which is at the table with unions at several European locations simultaneously.

By having the negotiations accompanied by professional negotiators and legal advisers, the union says it is also responding to the personal burden on employees. The VC emphasizes that the allegations against Ryanair concern the negotiating committee and other union-affiliated staff.

Ryanair rejects allegations

The conflict comes at a time when the airline is negotiating new framework conditions with pilot associations across Europe. The agreements in Italy, Romania, and Denmark are not, from the VC's perspective, a benchmark for German pilots, since different conditions apply there.