Germany is a signatory to the conventions of the International Labor Organization. Those representing Ryanair pilots in Germany should read the ILO Guide to Regulating the Employment Relationship in Europe:-
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/pub...cms_209280.pdf
“GERMANY– “Employee-like persons” (or quasi workers) are recognized in Germany (so-called arbeitnehmerahnliche person). Labor courts have jurisdiction in relation to employee-like persons and the general terms and conditions of their contracts are subject to judicial supervision.
Employee-like persons are entitled to collective bargaining. The essential features of the category of employee-like persons are statutorily established in Section 12a of the Act on Collective Bargaining Agreements”
The same ILO conventions defining the ‘employment relationship’ and associated collective bargaining rights apply to pilots at another low cost carrier. For whatever reason, those chumps would rather pay union dues for representation to the service provider agency, rather than representation to the airline controlling their working and “family” life.