For all you wannabies looking for a job at Ryr, I will just tell you what I got told by the then Personnel Manager in Dubin (he's not working there anymore, which is a shame because he was one of the more honest managers there).
He sat me down for the interview, asked me the basic stuff, "why do you want to work here?" "what experience have you got?" yada yada, then at the end just said to me straight (I might paraphrase in places) -
"Ryanair is hard work. You'll feel it after two years, and you should be looking for a way out before 5 years is up. We work you hard, and you'll feel like we treat you **** (he actually said this), but it's a job, we pay you, and if you don't expect much you'll be alright."
Now I've been in a few years, I can tell you, in my opinion, Ryr would certainly benefit from a union. The management DO push it as far as they can... and what they propose now is unfair and the current system of arbitration through the Irish courts is slow, weighted in the company's favour and almost impossible for the individual to take on by themselves i.e. the company virtually gets away with murder, they know it, and they even have the gall to wave it in our faces.
I know how hard it is to get that first job. I was out in the cold for 3 years before landing my first job (which wasn't ryr at first), I know if it's the first rung on the ladder and if it's easier to get onto you don't want to be told you shouldn't. Just take heed of what the Personnel Manager told me except don't think finding another job after some jet time will be any easier - plenty of others have the same or more experience and you may well end up being stuck here. If you still want to come here, be of the mind you have to make this the best place to work you can - and in my opinon, many voices together are louder than just one alone.