Ryanair signs agreement with Spanish pilot union

The deal follows similar agreements with unions in the UK, Portugal and Italy

(Getty)

Ryanair has signed a “recognition agreement” with the Spanish pilot union, paving the way for negotiations for a full Collective Labour Agreement to begin next month.

The budget airline agreed to recognise union Sepla, which will cover all pilots who are directly employed by Ryanair in Spain.

Spanish labour law will apply to all Ryanair pilots in Spain by no later than 31 January 2019, said Ryanair. In a Facebook note, the European Cockpit Association said it was “happy” to see progress on this issue.

The ongoing row with unions focuses on Ryanair’s practice of employing staff under Irish law. Unions are lobbying for a transition from workers being employed on Irish contracts to being subject to their own countries’ labour laws.

Earlier this month, Ryanair inked similar agreements with unions in Portugal, the UK and Italy.

These agreements are the first tentative steps towards ending the threat of strikes by European crew that have rattled the airline this year. On 28 September crew from Germany, Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy walked out for 24 hours in a move that saw Ryanair cancel 250 flights across Europe. Around 40,000 passengers were affected.

“These signed agreements with our pilot unions in Spain, Portugal, the UK and Italy again demonstrate the considerable progress we’re making in concluding union agreements with our people in our major EU markets,” said Ryanair’s chief people officer, Eddie Wilson.

Last week, the Belgian union threatened more walk-outs before the end of the year if Ryanair “does not radically change its position and attitude”.