Ryanair abuses Corona to tighten the screws on Malta Air staff

Tuesday, 23 June 2020

Ryanair abuses Corona to tighten the screws on Malta Air staff

In the midst of the Corona crisis, Ryanair backslides into well-known antiemployee behaviour patterns. What has been achieved in recent years in tough collective bargaining with the subsidiary Malta Air, which is the pilot-employer in Germany, is now to be largely overturned in the wake of Corona and in the shadow of the problems of other airlines. 

Any offers made by the staff, for example a reduction in working hours in a spirit of solidarity in order to preserve the jobs of colleagues, have not led to any serious content-related statements from the employer for weeks. There are no real negotiations at all to explore common interests, although under the present conditions they would be urgently needed by all sides. And this is despite the fact that Ryanair is financially well off and has a considerable financial cushion due to the harsh treatment of employees in the past.

At the same time, the company is preparing itself with aircraft orders for a strong growth course after the crisis. This is obviously to be financed on the back of the employees. Ryanair is currently trying to put massive pressure on the union. Michael O'Leary, for example, wants to cut staff and significantly lower salaries for at least five years as an alleged reaction to the crisis. The foreseeable need for new hires will then be at permanently lowered conditions.

The Ryanair airlines have always offered their employees below-average conditions. It is completely unacceptable  that the airline wants to further reduce these conditions permanently and massively. As a result of the crisis and the current grounding, the employees are temporarily deprived of their only means of asserting their interests.

Background: 
The Ryanair Group currently includes the airlines Ryanair (Ireland), Ryanair UK, BUZZ (Poland), Laudamotion (Austria) and Malta Air. The company is increasingly attempting to use this structure to play off the employees against each other in a "divide and rule" game, thereby further worsening working conditions.

Contact:
Janis Schmitt, Board Member and Spokesperson, Tel. 0176 / 16 959 001,
VC press office, Tel. 069 / 69 59 76 102

VC is the German Airline Pilots‘ Association. The fundamental objectives of the VC are contributing to the welfare and safety of civil aviation as well as ensuring and pursuing the interests of its 9,600 members regarding technical affairs and industrial affairs.

V. i. S. d. P.: Vereinigung Cockpit, Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, phone.: 069 / 69 59 76 - 0, fax: 069 / 69 59 76 - 150; presse@vcockpit.de, www.VCockpit.de

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