Flyingstig you raise so many points in one post that it may be difficult to cover all of them but I will try my best.
Firstly I am not a union official or a representative of IALPA, I am simply a Ryanair pilot who has been here long enough to understand the divisions between management and its employees or 'disguised employees' and the vindictiveness and ruthless nature of the way they treat their staff.
Ryanair operate their employee cost base on the basis that they use individual bargaining, we all have seen evidence of this. The divide and conquer method works better for them, we can see that in the recent sackings of pilots in their power display.
'You say that if conditions are so appalling in Ryanair why do we not hear calls for strike'.
Well firstly we do all the time on REPA however their can be no action without a strong majority of pilots joining the same union hence my calls for people to join and exercise their basic human and civil rights to organise their labour.
You say 'what will the union do for them? 'will it put food on their table'
The union is its members all we are looking for here is a fair working enviroment and decent conditions not to be pickpocketed by the company at any oppurtunity.
Of course the union won't put food on your table although I remember cases where they have. They will help you achieve collective barganing and all the benefits that this entails for its members, Ryanair's so called collective barganing on non elected ERC's is non existent and is a puppet show.
Pilot999 I wouldn't gloat so much that you got home for Christmas we have seen so many people who were not in a union being targeted by the company in a power display that failed by the way, people who have never been on REPA either.This company is ruthless and you may find yourself looking for protection from the same people that you dismiss so easily. A decrease in one pilot's terms is an attack on all our conditions and the future of everyones conditions can be seen in the new contracts for Captains.
My thoughts this Christmas and New Year is with Paul Ridgards family and the family of the 15 sacked contracters, Will you live your life always looking over your shoulder from an unfair employer or stand united with your colleagues for your rights?
JOIN IALPA
ORGANISE YOUR LABOUR! EXERCISE YOUR HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS!
Last edited by widered; 27th Dec 2011 at 13:53.