Another great success for Ryanair cabin crew fighting for their rights!
November 16, 2018
On 15 November, the German federal government kept its promise regarding closing a loophole in the country’s labour legislation which has traditionally benefited airlines at the expense of workers.
Under the German industrial relations system workers in companies above a certain size are able to form a ‘works council’, giving them a voice in how the company is run. However, the law previously excluded cabin crew and pilots, meaning that a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was the only way to have their voices heard.
The German cabinet’s decision came a few days after members of ITF affiliate ver.di approved a proposed framework for a CBA with Ryanair, ending months of deadlock and strike threats over better pay and conditions.
Once finalised, the new CBA is set to switch German-based workers from Irish to local labour contracts, addressing a key demand among Ryanair staff across Europe. However, the carrier still refused to accept the establishment of a works council by taking the advantage of the legal loophole. Now, with the new legislative amendment, there will be no place for Ryanair to hide.
As part of the ITF/ETF campaign for fair treatment of Ryanair workers (http://ryanair.verdi.de) ver.di and its activists fought hard to attain this result. For instance Sandra, a Ryanair cabin crew activist, recently visited the German parliament to win support for the struggle for better working conditions and the right to establish a works council. In this short and lively video, Sandra explains why lawmakers need to introduce new rules for the industry as a whole.
Tags: european works council, Germany, Ryanair, union organising, ver.di