Remind me again of how many people Aer Lingus made redundant in Ireland over last couple of years....
Not sure of the numbers but they let a fair few go 3 years back with the greenfield plan, and in 2002/3 they let go almost 1/3 of their workforce IIRC, but that's not the point.
The point being made was that if you were looking for a secure job in Irish aviation, Aer Lingus is the first place that comes to mind. If you're looking for a job in Irish aviation, then either Ryanair or Aer Lingus come to mind. The point being made was that in general, the types of contracts being given out to new entries in Aer Lingus are more secure type jobs than the contract type jobs that are offered to new comers in Ryanair. That's not to say that Ryanair aren't offering jobs, but that the nature of those jobs is less secure.
I'm not anti-Ryanair, they do a great job and have brought down the cost of travel for many of us, and payed a lot of taxes to this country, however I don't think they treat their employees fairly and think that they exploit them. I don't think Ryanair is a place where people go for a career, but rather use as a stepping stone to get to other jobs, and this is due to the way the employees are treated. I think if Ryanair changes their attitudes towards their employees they'd have a much lower attrition rate than they currently have, and people would show some loyalty to them. Manners cost nothing.
And how many crew are on forced unpaid leave this winter, while taking on new crews.
Excellent point, sitting on standby not being paid a dime is not employment, it's exploitation. Ryanair workers deserve a basic salary, not just this pay by the hour crap that they have to work with.