From someone entirely unconnected with the dispute, but shocked.
From
http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?...0811&area=news
An Irish judge has awarded Ryanair an injunction to prevent the destruction of web site user data in a court battle over the identities of its pilots who criticised the airline's working practices in an on-line forum for Ryanair pilots, according to The Guardian.
The forum belongs to the Ryanair European Pilots’ Association (REPA), a body set up last October by the two largest pilot organisations with members flying with the company, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) and the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA).
The Guardian reports that the site operators have been ordered not to destroy the codenames of the pilots who made the comments which, according to Ryanair, included posts from pilots suggesting "criminal activity" against the airline and its employees.
The unions yesterday accused Ryanair of attacking free speech.
From: The Guardian Online
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/new...448262,00.html
Ryanair draws first blood in battle over pilots' web attack
Andrew Clark
Wednesday March 30, 2005
The Guardian
Pilots' leaders have accused Ryanair of an extraordinary attack on free speech in a high court battle over a website that contains anonymous criticisms of the airline by some of its employees.
The Irish low-cost carrier is trying to unmask the identity of pilots responsible for controversial remarks about its working practices on a message board run jointly by the British and Irish pilots' unions.
Ryanair has drawn first blood by securing an injunction from a Dublin judge that bans the unions from destroying the codenames used by pi lots on the Ryanair European Pilots' Association's website.
Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa), said: "We shall vigorously defend our position in refusing to divulge names of pilots who discuss with one another their problems and aspirations."
Pilots' unions are furious with Ryanair over its handling of training for pilots moving from older jets to new Boeing 737-800s, which have been introduced to modernise the airline's fleet.
Balpa claims pilots are being forced to pay the cost of retraining, with little alternative available to them other than redundancy.
Ryanair denies this. It says crew are merely being asked to sign five-year "bonds" which require them to pay back training costs if they leave the company.
It says the unions' website is being used to "threaten and intimidate" pilots who take up the offer of retraining and insists that it has not threat ened refusenik staff with redundancy.
Union leaders say confidentiality is crucial in the aviation industry. They point out that pilots use online forums to report safety concerns. If anonymity is jeopardised concerns may never be aired.
Ryanair has fought a series of battles over online message boards. Last year, an independent pilots' website deleted a thread containing comments about the airline following a threat of legal action.
Unions have attacked the airline for forcing trainee staff to pay for uniforms and for refusing to give them free in-flight meals.
Ryanair's director of personnel, Eddie Wilson, said the website had included posts from pilots suggesting "criminal activity" against the airline and its employees.
"We will not under any circumstances allow any of our pilots or people to become the victims of an organised campaign of intimidation," Mr Wilson said.