Ryanair pilots are set to strike for 48 hours next week, disrupting ‘thousands’ of flights

It was announced this evening.

It has been reported that directly-employed Ryanair pilots based in Ireland are to strike for 48 hours from midnight on 22 August. Chaos. Those going on strike are members of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA). The pilot's union announced the plans for industrial action this evening, and said that they will notify the airline if any further strikes are planned. The move comes after 94 percent of the pilots voted to back industrial action in a long-running dispute over pay, working conditions and related issues. Ryanair say the strike could disrupt the plans of "thousands of holidaymakers", given the time of year. They have called for pilots to reconsider, and to return to mediation. Ryanair's Chief People Officer Eddie Wilson said tonight: "We have done everything in our power to avoid disruption to our flights and our customers’ holidays." "However, no company can concede to grossly unreasonable demands from its highest paid workers for a further pay increase of over 100% (when they already agreed and received a 20% pay increase earlier this year) at a time when the airline industry is in crisis." "Ryanair pilots who are already among the best paid workers in Ireland are now threatening to disrupt the holiday travel plans of thousands of customers over the coming weeks as they demand that their pay be increased from €172,000 p.a. to over €347,000 p.a. that would see them earn more than the President of Ireland or our Taoiseach, even as Norwegian makes all of its Dublin pilots redundant." "We remain willing to engage in Mediation with our pilots and Fórsa but call on them to avoid disrupting our customers’ travel plans in pursuit of what are clearly unrealistic and unimplementable pay proposals."