Ryanair warns of job cuts if strike in continued

Ryanair said on Tuesday that if the strike by pilots and cabin crew continued it may be forced to cut jobs and close some bases in Germany.

“These threatened strikes can only damage Ryanair’s business in Germany, and if they continue, will lead to base cuts and job cuts for both German pilots and cabin crew, particularly at some secondary German bases,” said Ryanair chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs in a statement.

Without naming the German sites under threat, Mr Jacobs said they are already loss-making during the winter season and could suffer greater losses if strikes continued.

Condemning the Cockpit pilots union’s call for a 24-hour walkout that is expected to involve 400 pilots and co-pilots in Germany, Mr Jacobs also rejected the charge that the airline is underpaying its staff saying that Lufthansa’s subsidiary Eurowings pay pilots 30% less.

“It is unacceptable that a union representing Ryanair’s German pilots, who earn up to €190,000 a year and work a five-day week followed by a four-day weekend, is now threatening customers travel plans at short notice and without consulting with our German pilots,” said Mr Jacobs.

Germany was worst hit by the August strike, with 250 flights scrapped at ten airports.

Since then, Ryanair, which carries 130 million passengers annually, has reached agreements with personnel in Ireland and Italy.

The airline backed down after the agreement from an announcement that it would move some aircraft out of Ireland and slash 300 jobs.

However, Germany’s Cockpit union has rejected the deal.