My understanding of the German press article is (and I bear no responsibility if it's incorrect or slanderous)
House searches of Ryanair pilots
Several searches have been made in recent weeks in Germany of the homes of Ryanair pilots. That these searches have been conducted by the "Finanzkontrolle Scheinselbständigkeit" (FKS), it follows that those legally responsible for the employment model of these pilots, with intermediary employment agencies, amount to bogus self-employment and moonlighting. The Association urges the Ryanair to stop these dodgy business practices immediately and to employ their pilots directly. Price wars may be no longer held on the backs of workers, especially not in such sensitive environments such as air transport.
In Germany, it is estimated that more than 10% of all pilots are unemployed. Companies such as Ryanair, lead in taking advantage of this situation to get pilots in atypical employment relationships. So, a scientific study by the University of Ghent (
Vereinigung Cockpit e.V. : Atypical employment) revealed that 16% of all pilots are employed using such dubious methods. A tendency which is rising. Increasingly, pilots are accepted only if they are ready a so called "contractor", without any protection, such as during holiday and illness, and all this after these pilots have paid EUR 30,000 training costs and also commit themselves to pay fine to EUR 5,000, if they leave Ryanair within three months
Since the House searches were conducted by the FKS, it can be assumed that the use of these contracts with intermediary agencies can be regarded as bogus and therefore undeclared work. Markus Wahl, spokesman of the Association cockpit "It seems that Ryanair treats it’s pilots with contempt, having imposed such conditions to now be saying that it is up to pilots to ensure they fulfill any tax liabilities".
The pilots are the weakest link in the chain. The VC calls for Ryanair, in light of the customs focus, to immediately adjust their business practices with dodgy agencies such as Brookfield and McGinley and to directly employ their pilots like all reputable airlines and to establish a social partnership with the respective trade unions under the umbrella of the European Pilot Association ECA.
Martin Locher, Vice President of the Pilots Association (VC) , has said "The VC also calls for Ryanair to introduce standard conditions for their workers, which guarantee a regular basic income in case of illness and prevent practices such as involuntary transfers across Europe. Low cost airlines must also accept unions like all other airlines, and enter into fair negotiations with them. The price wars must no longer be fought on the backs of workers, especially not in security-critical environments such as air transport".