The real problem in Ireland is that Public Sector trades unions have been over-indulged by governments for years (under the guise of "partnership"). So while pay cuts have been quite common in the Private sector and pay levels generally lower, the public sector unions gone on a gigantic sulk when they were levied for contributions for generous pension schemes, and when their pay was cut.
The biggest difference is that the Public Sector guys have virtually total immunity from compulsory redundancy, while the Private sector has had huge redundancy levels. Pubilc sector levels of pay are sill at a handsome premium compared with provate sector, and even more handsome when compared with like occupations in the UK and W.Europe - not only ATCOS, but nurses, doctors, teachers, police.....
The Ryanair comment that even though traffic and ATCO workloads are down significantly, but there have been no redundancies, is for once spot on. Totally in contrast to other poor devils working in the air transport industry.