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Ryanair flys from Marseille base over illegal working practices case
Created
2010-10-13 17:15
By RFI
France - Ireland
0
Low-cost airline Ryanair announced on Wednesday that it will go ahead with the closure of its base in Marseille. The Irish carrier had threatened to pull out because French prosecutors accused the airline of illegal working practices.
“We are very disappointed at this decision by the French authorities to initiate proceedings against Ryanair’s base in
Marseille [1],”
said Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary [2].
French prosecutors claim Ryanair had illegally declared 120 employees as working in Ireland, when they worked in France.
“These are not French jobs, but rather Irish jobs on Irish aircraft,” said O’Leary. “This ill-judged legal action has therefore cost Marseille and France jobs, foreign investment and lost visitors in circumstances where our Marseille base fully complies with EU regulations for transport workers.”
On Saturday O'Leary
threatened to leave [3] in a letter to the
Le Parisien newspaper.
Thirteen routes from Ryanair’s Mediterranean hub will cease to operate from 11 January 2011. The airline’s four aircraft and 200 staff will be moved to airports in Spain, Italy and Lithuania. Ten routes will continue to operate to and from Marseille, including Brussels, London, Madrid and Rome.
Michael O'Leary outside the Court of Appeal in London, 13 October
Photo: Reuters/Stefan Wermuth
Ryanair boss O'Leary says airline may quit Marseille over court case [3]
Ryanair profits slump on volcanic ash crisis [4]
Air France files complaint against Ryanair [5]
Source URL: Ryanair flys from Marseille base over illegal working practices case | RFI
Links:
[1]
Aeroport de Marseille Provence - Vols, horaires, destinations, acces, parking
[2]
News : Ryanair Announces Closure of Marseille Base
[3]
Ryanair boss O'Leary says airline may quit Marseille over court case | RFI
[4]
Ryanair profits slump on volcanic ash crisis | RFI
[5]
Air France files complaint against Ryanair | RFI
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FWIW, as I said before on here, I think he's bluffing and trying to make a European case out of the issue. Does anyone know if there are other similar situations? i.e. Irish contracted workers working somewhere else? If there are he'll move on them too.
In the MRS situation he'll have plenty of local support, the mayor of MRS has said it will be a disaster, and as the mayor of the third city he has clout. Also, ryr has clattered the others on the Maroc routes, and there are a lot of Maghrebians in MRS.
Meanwhile he'll save money, that's his raison d'etre.