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Ryanair accused of 'exploiting' staff

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Ryanair accused of 'exploiting' staff

Old 18th May 2013, 14:09
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RA Maintenance

I am a retired LAE living near PIK which as you know is RA main maintenance base. I have talked to other LAE's who have gone to work at PIK and most of them are surprised at the very HIGH level of maintenance there. A lot of them came from big outfits saying that RA did great work and better than others as they know delays cost money. BUT the way he runs the airline is a insult to treating staff and punters alike. Just to say they are not unsafe maintenance wise!!!!
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Old 18th May 2013, 18:25
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I disageee Sunnyjohn, Ryanair use four or five contracting agencies for cabin crew and two for flight crew.
I take your point PD; nevertheless, she signed with Crewlink and agreed to their terms and conditions.
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Old 18th May 2013, 19:05
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Would never work for them and will never fly with them if humanly possible.
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Old 19th May 2013, 03:53
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Do pilots who fly exclusively for Ryanair, but who are not employed by them and who have a regular place from which they fly said aircraft in UK pay employers NI contributions either in the UK or elsewhere, if so who pays it? if not why not?
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Old 19th May 2013, 05:24
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Sorry Despegue but..

..your argument is as valid and convincing as your shocking grammar ...
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Old 19th May 2013, 06:44
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Haven't worked for an airline yet that doesn't exploit it's staff. No amount of profit ever seems to be enough, and often at staff expense.

They're all the same circus, just different tents
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Old 19th May 2013, 07:34
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Ryanair, Google, etc they are all the same;

They push the limit of whats acceptable, legal, moral and basically say 'if you think your big enough and hard enough have a go' we will see you in court.

None of this is new its been happening for years.

The difference now is that Europe is bankrupt and all the Govts are scrambling around trying to find a few billion quid here and there and under the sofa.

Its double standards from the Govts and politicians as when it was champagne and loads of money they didnt give two hoots about about Ryanair/ Google and the like.

Govts are now in the doo doo financially so everyone watch out.

Doesnt make it right what Ryanair Google etc do but it does smack of double standards from the Govts.
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Old 19th May 2013, 08:07
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There's a surprise FR exploiting it's staff…who would have thought it!
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Old 19th May 2013, 09:12
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I recently flew with Ryanair to visit friends in Malta. £49.99 each way was the advertised fee (from Bournemouth); out on a Thu morning and back the following Mon.

Despite the advertised fee being £49.99 each way, the total billed fare was £84.48 a cheaper fare?

The carry-on baggage allowance appears, on first instance, to be adequate; however, the restricted (dimensional) size of the bag is somewhat small. Hence, I took the option for hold baggage... an additional £40.

Also, I didn't want to join the free-boarding "bunfight", so I elected for a reserved seat (with extra legroom)... an additional £20.

Web check-in cost a further £14 (what an effin swizz)... my computer, my printer etc.

An EU Levy... £5. ETS (whatever that is)... 0.50p. Insurance... £9.79. And finally, an administration fee of £14. In total, the final fee was £187.77!

Bournemouth (outbound)... I went through to departures one hour prior to the advertised departure time and the throngs were already queuing to get onto the aeroplane; which hadn't yet arrived! I sat in the coffee shop with a newspaper until the last few people were going through the boarding gate. I then tagged onto the end of the queue to be last on the aeroplane (with a reserved seat). My boarding pass was then checked and I was directed to the front of the queue (I was told that I had priority boarding). The aircraft was late arriving, so I spent the next twenty minutes shuffling my feet at the front of a sea of people. Finally, I boarded (priority of course), only to be jostled and pushed by everyone behind me. I sat in my aisle seat and, after having several bottoms shoved into my face, everyone finally got seated and off we went. During the three-hour sector I was offered everything from the trolley (for a fee of course)... I declined. Then came the "scratchcards"... no thanks! Perfumes... no thanks! After landing at Luqa, my baggage did arrive in quite quick time (no-one else had hold baggage!).

For the return flight... I got wise! I was booked into seat 1A and I therefor remained seated in the departure area until the very last person went through the gate... I then tagged onto the end of the queue (declining the priority boarding offer). At the top of the steps... 1A... sat down, door closed... loadsa legroom; until we became airborne! Every fat lady on the aeroplane wanted to use the bathroom... the area in front of me was full of people shuffling to use the loo... they'd been stood in a queue for too long at the airport! More bottoms in my face (some were very smelly)! More scratchcard and perfume offers... no thanks. On arrival at Bournemouth, another Ryanair jet (from Tenerife) was late arriving and, as a result of limited baggage carts, hold luggage was collected from both jets prior to being delivered to the baggage hall... a 45 minute wait for luggage... and a huge bunfight when the baggage belt started to move!

Will I travel with Ryanair again? Not on your life... unless I have to!
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Old 19th May 2013, 09:24
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Everyone knows what you get with Ryanair when you fly, a big fat zero. We all know that it will say the price is X and we will end up paying Y (which is always higher). We know you won't get first class because thats not what its about…you shouldn't expect it. You are traveling low cost so thats what you should expect and thats what you will get.

As the public you have the choice and you are informed and can easily vote with you feet and your wallet to go else where.

As staff however it is a different matter, its not so easy to move jobs, or indeed to stand up to intimidation threats and exploitation.
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Old 19th May 2013, 10:12
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pablo diablo

The flight crew contract is 5 years.
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Old 19th May 2013, 10:19
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Will I travel with Ryanair again? Not on your life... unless I have to!
Why would you have to? It is almost inconceivable that there would be no alternative.
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Old 19th May 2013, 10:22
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and also, guys, read all the terms and condition when you buy something in general, don't just click click and click...please do not complain if you are lazy to read....
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Old 19th May 2013, 12:44
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Chitterne, We all agree that Ryanair's way of adding layer after layer of non-optional cost, ie on line check-in and admin fees (I thought this had been banned but there we are) leaves one with the strong impression of a swindle luggage and priority seating is most definitely your choice. The rest of your post, the actual experience of the flight and boarding scrum is common to almost every other budget airline and many that aren't so it is a bit harsh to judge Ryanair by that. Much of the unpleasantness was caused by pax behaving like pax, who's "fault" is that?
You don't have to be pestered for scratch cards and stickybuns, if you don't want anything just ignore them and don't look pleadingly at the crew...

The matter of "self employed" being demonstrably illegal is a shameful neglect of governments (UK included) for ignoring the matter and not dealing with a widespread employment law and tax fraud, for that's what it is. Ryanair, as ever, tries it on and is repeatedly allowed to get away with it. Its unethical and shabby but if regulators won't regulate the and rogues take over the market unhindered.
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Old 19th May 2013, 13:32
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"cheap flights, cheap flights they're only fifty pee"

isnt that how the song goes?
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Old 19th May 2013, 13:50
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It seems the Dutch TV companies are not so easily intimidated as dear old pprune





RyanairPilotGroup
Judge refuses Ryanair inspect material KRO

The Amsterdam District Court has rejected a claim by Ryanair. The airline demanded access to the raw footage of two documentaries of the Focal Reporter program.

Reporter - Rechter weigert Ryanair inzage in materiaal KRO

Reporter - Rechter weigert Ryanair inzage in materiaal KRO
reporter.kro.nl
De rechtbank Amsterdam heeft een eis van Ryanair afgewezen. De vliegmaatschappij eiste inzage in het ruwe beeldmateriaal van twee documentaires van het programma Brandpunt Reporter.


Edited to say, cockney steve just reminded me (below) Post #14 -Clandestino had to pass a wry smile at that one

Last edited by captplaystation; 19th May 2013 at 16:27.
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Old 19th May 2013, 14:12
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@ Clandestino....Thanks for post #14 A masterpiece in satire.


Re- exploitation....Many upright and moral citizens wrestle with their concience when buying Big Brand trainers and the like. The quality of the £150+jobbies is little different to the £9..99 budget ones, save the carefully massaged and nurtured "prestige" of the coveted logo........Indeed, there is the tale of the new Chinese factory,set-up and monitored by the Brand-Owner,who couldn't understand how the marketplace was awash with "his" products ,retailing at less than his cost.....eventually it was realised that the OTHER new factory , directly opposite, was producing identical counterfeits!

Where is this heading?

If you refuse to buy this product of exploited, sweatshop labour, you're condemning the workers to a subsistance-lifestyle, back in the Paddy-Fields(NO! I don't mean rural Ireland )
They have a choice, just like the Miners,Cotton-mill workers and Canal-Navvies who fuelled the Industrial Revolution.

The bosses got mansions, the workers,-slums.

Easy to say"Boycott xxx. - they're screwing their employees"....fact is, if you did that, the next-up level of employer in that trade, would NOT take all that extra business....the market would shrink because the bottom-end would not pay more.

This happens at every level, wether it be the local pub going under charging £2-a pint , when the "offie" sells it for 80p.
Or the builder of luxury-yachts, who finds the market has shrunk.

Vote with your feet, but remember, the lower-ranks will feel the pain first and harder than the management.
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Old 19th May 2013, 15:21
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In the newspaper article at the start of this thread the response by a RYR spokesman was to say that the claims were 'false'. Crewlink also denied the allegations. It should be a simple black & white test for a 'learned friend' to analyse the facts and decide if indeed they are false. If it is found that the claims are true then it could be said that RYR, (& perhaps Crewlink) and who knows all the other agencies involved in the merry-go-round, are strange bed-fellow with the truth. At the moment an ex-crew member claims X, RYR claims it's false. It should be clearer than one word against another. The crew member has been called a liar. Whose is the next move?
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Old 19th May 2013, 16:15
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ChiternFlyer

It needn't be this way!!

Take Norwegian as a case in point, it is a very similar concept, Boeing 738 all brand new and Europe's 3rd largest LoCo after Ryanair & Esayjet.

The website is totally transparent the price advertised for your flight on the day you want to travel is what you pay, there is no admin fee's or charges if paying with debit card, you do pay extra for luggage, but the extra is a fraction of the cost of Ryanair and the carry on allowance is generous.

Should you change your plans within 4 hours of booking you can cancel for free, again no penalty.

Its all allocated seating and they will seat you together if at all possible, there is a food/beverage service, but no scratch cards, you'll also enjoy free silent movies from the overhead drop down screens together with some route advert.

Free onboard Wifi when above 10'000ft

You won't see 9.99 seat offer's but pick your time and you can get just about anywhere for under £50-£60, you can also book transit flights with luggage checked through via the 3 main nordic hubs

This an airline that has over 220 aircraft on order and is very profitable and still manages to provide its crews with free meals and drink and picks up their hotel bills, pays sick pay and pays standby duty, does not charge for uniforms and employe's a lot of very well trained ex Ryanair pilots
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Old 19th May 2013, 16:16
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Belfast telegraph: Ryanair tells pilots that passenger safety fears letter is ‘gross

Ryanair tells pilots that passenger safety fears letter is ?gross misconduct? - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Budget airline Ryanair pilots have been told not to sign a letter to airline regulators expressing concern that the airline’s employment practices could jeopardise passenger safety.

In a memo staff were told they would be guilty of “gross misconduct” and “liable for dismissal” if they signed the letter to the Irish Aviation Authority that regulates Ryanair. The letter was drawn up by the Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG), which represents captains and co-pilots working for the airline but is not recognised by the company.

It warned that the “confusing, uncertain and unpredictable employment situation” at Ryanair was becoming “an increasing distraction in daily flight operations”. It added that it was causing “stress and worry” for pilots and had implications for safety.

Ryanair responded to the letter by warning that any pilot who signed it could be dismissed. “If the Ryanair Pilot Group want to make inaccurate or false claims about non-safety issues they are free to do so, but we will not allow Ryanair’s safety to be defamed by this pilots’ union,” the airline’s chief pilot Ray Conway wrote.

“Please note that any Ryanair pilot who participates in this so-called safety petition will be guilty of gross misconduct and will be liable for dismissal.”

The RPG organised the letter amid concerns that the airline was making the majority of its pilots self-employed. Under the scheme, pilots sign a contract binding them to fly exclusively for Ryanair – but not as employees.

The pilots are then paid for the work they do but have to pay for all their own expenses, including uniforms, identity cards, transport and hotel accommodation. The contracted pilots have no pension scheme or medical insurance unless they set it up themselves.

One Ryanair pilot said that the company was protected because they could claim that pilots had a legal and moral obligation not to fly if they do not think they are capable. But they added: “People are human and if you’re not going to be paid [if you don’t fly] you might think ‘I can do this, I’m fine. I’ll just get on with it’. You should not have a safety culture based on fear.”
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