Ryanair and pilot union Balpa reach agreement on post-Covid pay restoration
Ryanair and UK pilot union Balpa have today reached an agreement on post-Covid pay restoration, after staff agreed to a 20 per cent salary cut during the peak of the pandemic.
The airline pledged to pay restoration for its UK staff, as it forecasts this year it will grow by 115 per cent on pre-pandemic levels.
Under the newly agreed deal, the airline will restore 10 per cent now, and another 10 in April next year, subject to the recovery of the business.
British pilots are also set to receive additional benefits, such as pay enhancements, until 2026.
“While the recovery from the impact of the pandemic is still ongoing and our industry faces significant challenges, this long-term agreement delivers stability, accelerated pay restoration, future pay increases and other benefit improvements for our UK pilots,” said Ryanair’s people director Darrell Hughes.
“While 100 per cent of our pilots across our European network are covered by 2020 Emergency Agreements, we continue to work with our pilots and their unions on new deals, similar to this one concluded with BALPA, and have successfully re-negotiated improved long-term agreements with 70 per cent of our pilots, running until 2026 or 2027 as we prioritise pay restoration.”
The news comes as Ryanair’s EU staff joined a continent-wide wave of discontent and voted in favour of strike.
Last weekend, cabin crew members in Belgium, Spain and Portugal staged a three-day walkout over pay and working conditions, while Spain staff announced it will also be striking today and tomorrow.
Ryanair downplayed the strikes’ impact, saying it affected 2 per cent of the 9,000 flights that departed between 24 and 26 June.