Ryanair and the Irish pilots union have agreed to a four-year pay deal, which includes the immediate restoration of pay that was slashed to see the airline through the Covid-19 crisis.
The deal still needs to be approved by union members in a vote, but is expected to satisfy workers’ demands.
The low-cost airline reported in July that it had struck similar deals with 85 percent of its pilots unions, leaving just the Irish and Belgian unions to sign. It did not react quickly to a request for comment on the discussions in Belgium.
“This agreement, which includes annual pay increases for the next four years, now brings our Irish pilots into line with similar pay restoration deals concluded with our other pilot unions across Europe,” said Darrell Hughes, director of people operations for Ryanair.
Members will vote on the plans, which include “post-Covid pay restoration measures brought forward from 2023 in addition to pay restructuring measures” according to a statement from the Fórsa labor organization. The union stated that it would propose that pilots vote yes.
The agreement was reached last Friday following discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission, according to the union.
Both Ryanair and Fórsa declined to comment on the particular wage increases contained.
According to a source close to the negotiations, the agreement entails “pay restructuring” next year, followed by a low single-digit percentage raise in each of the three succeeding years.
The Irish airline, which faced large pilot strikes in 2018, experienced modest cabin worker strikes last summer.