Just before I left Ryanair I predicted that this situation would come along again. I didn't realise it would be so soon.
For those who do not/have not worked for Ryanair, you can't really appreciate just how devisive this company is. Last year, Ryanair attempted to fund the Captains pay rise by reducing the pay earned by Co-Pilots. And attempted to pass it off as aceptable by stating that FO's would be Captains in four years time therefore they would earn good money then.
A few points of note and they're also the reasons why I left that company. Firstly, when expansion stops and the loco market is completely saturated, how long is time to command going to be? At a guess, it would revert to the industry standard seven to ten years. That's a long time to be earning a very poor FO's salary without any other benefits such as allowances, pension, LOL insurance, uniform etc.
Secondly, do you think for one moment that a company like Ryanair will not turn their attention to reducing the costs of the left hand seat, once they've got the right hand seat crewed for free? The Captains in that company have their heads in the sand if they think for a minute they're not in MOL's cost reduction sights.
Ryanair pilots are also in the worst possible barganing position they have been in for a few years. And Ryanair Management know this and must be clapping their hands in joy.
Let us consider, no union protection, a take it or leave it approach from MOL et al which will be even more ferocious this time around. The reason why?
It's fairly simple. The only real barganing chip Ryanair pilots have is "Give us what we want or we leave". But we now have a scenario where there's nowhere else to go. TFly are merging with FCA. TCX are merging with MYT. Result, job losses (maybe) but certainly no recruitment. Easyjet have just announced that there is no more room until winter 2008. BA/Virgin/Aer Lingus recruitment isn't anywhere near the rate able to absorb a mass exodus of Ryanair guys. So the Ryanair pilots who aren't prepared to travel to the far east etc have nowhere readily available to go.
The next round of "negotiations" between Ryanair and it's pilots really is crunch time. I have no doubt the company will be even more brutal than they usually are this time around because they know there will not be a mass exodus of pilots. They'll do there utmost best to force a deal onto the pilots that will lock them into the worst possible T & C's for the foreseeable future.
And once Ryanair have acheived this, other companies will follow in order to compete. I hate to be a prophet of doom but I really fear for all of us no matter where we are. For now the front line is Ryanair. But believe me, once that line is breached (and I believe it will be) those of us sitting comfortable several miles further back will be within the range of Ryanair's artillery. And that will be in the form of job offers as our own airlines go under.
In my opinion we should all be doing everything we can to support the Ryanair pilots. Because if we don't, then the T & C's they currently "enjoy" will be ours too.
I sincerly hope the Captain's in Ryanair fully realise the enormity of the vote they're about to undertake.