In response to the post by Scroggs. I am a current Ryanair F/O recently a S/O.
Can those who are currently employed by Ryanair answer the following questions:
1. How much does the type rating & line training currently cost?
At CAE in Amsterdam where most do their training, its €28,000. By the time you pay for accom., travel, living expenses during line training (You can, and will be bounced around any of the soon to be 19 European bases to fly with an available line trainer), licensing expenses, Uniform, Airport ID cards, Food and water during your line training flights and various sundries, I think I easily spent closer to €35,000.
2. Is the wannabe employed during training? If so, who by?
The Wannabe will be employed on, and I quote from the contratc, a "fixed-term training contract" which "It must be clearly understood is a fixed-term contract only and that should a permanent position be available within Ryanair.. you will be considered for that position..."
3. What salary and/or allowances are payable to the wannabe during the training phase?
£890 GBP a month net, or in Euro Bases, a Gross Salary of €15,000
4. At what point does the wannabe become employed by Ryanair or Brookfields?
A permanent contract is offered at some point after line check. The time scale varies hugely, some have been left on trainee/fixed term contract for up to 6 months, with no reasonable explanation from Ryanair. Conversely, some who were taken on on the basis of a permanent contract were told once they had done their sim that "No permanent positions are available, you must become a brookfield contractor"
5. What is the intial rate of pay, and what steps does that salary take in the first three years? How has this changed over the past few years?
Initial pay once the fixed term contract is up (ie After your initial line check) is €18,000 gross plus half sector pay of about €1K nett a month, after 6 months its full sector pay. After that is anyone's guess, there are no published salary scales, every base and every Pilot can be on a different contract. Nobody except management know for sure
How have these salaries changed? Well Lets look at the last five years. A friend started as a S/O in 2000 and made €4000 net a month. He is now a Line trainer and makes €6000 a month. Says it all really! There is a constant undertow of sliding T&Cs, I would say of at least 5-10% a year.
6. What are the arrangements for non-flying periodic training (SEP, simulator etc)?
Again with Ryanair, it depends! I am based in a continental European base. I get a ticket booked, a Hire Car and free petrol, and Hotel paid for me going to the sim. If I was based in STN I would get nothing. They have to pay for B&B and get themselves there.
7. What are the details of the roster arrangements? How do they relate to easyJet (for example)?
The only reason, in my opinion, that Ryanair keeps people. Roster is the best out there if you want a steady life. 5 days on 3 off, set in concrete all year around. Again, depending on which of the many flavours of contracts you are on! If Brookfield you will either by 5/4 if assigned a base or 5/5 if a floating pilot, in a different base every week. Easy now have 5/3, 5/4.
8. What arrangements are there to protect the pilot in case of long term sickness, loss of licence, or retirement (ie pension)?
Nothing, nada, zip. Since we are "the highest paid Pilots in Europe" we can easily afford these out of our substantial pay cheques. There used to be Pensions and LOL insurance but these were taken away by a memo posted on the internal staff website, with no mechanisim available to staff to fight it.
9. What other benefits are paid or applied to the contract?
Benefits none. The Big carrot that they dangle is a quick command. Young wannabees seem happy to sign their life away for the "Zero to Hero" three year command, with the prospect of being a Line Training Captain in about another three years.
10. What are the prospects for union representation within the company?
Difficult question. BALPA in conjuction with REPA have agreed to help the Pilots in UK bases with a union recognition campaign. Both BALPA and especially IALPA are putting in sterling work to help the Pilots help themselves.
However at a meeting in STN today to discuss a new paydeal (Note the phraseology, Deal, not the word contract as in legally binding) the director of flight ops threatened that if union recognition was forced on Ryanair they would retaliate by changing our days off to 5/2. Why "Because I can".And as was also made clear under questioning of another member of management 'THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES', ie if Ryanair don't like what they're giving us they'll change it.
Further insight into company culture if ever it were needed