The situation involving Ryanair workers will be discussed in Portugal’s parliament as a new European strike is planned for September.
Ryanair will not be sending anyone to parliament to clarify the labour situation which has led to several strikes since the beginning of the year.
Next Wednesday, the parliamentary hearings will begin at the Commission for Economy, Innovation and Public Works, with the objective of listening to the various unions and the airline management about the Ryanair’s human resources policy.
The initiative from the Left Bloc was submitted in April this year, requesting a hearing of the administration of the Irish carrier. But the company, led by Michael O'Leary, has sent a letter to parliament, stating that it will not be sending anyone to Lisbon.
"The Ryanair administration made a bizarre excuse for not being there. It claims that, as management is in the process of negotiating with several pilots' unions in various European countries, they do not have anyone from the human resources department available to be present ", says the Left Bloc MP, Heitor de Sousa.
The MP also said that the request was quite explicit, "we requested the presence of representatives of the Ryanair board of directors in Portugal and not someone from the human resources department."
Ryanair said that it has "nothing more to add on this subject."
Parliament will be hearing from the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC). Also, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the Working Conditions Authority (ACT) and ANA Airports all are on the list for the hearings taking place during September.
SNPVAC considers that Ryanair's refusal to be present at the committee meeting "shows a lack of respect for our government."
The representative of the trade union, Bruno Fialho, hopes that this will be the first step towards a change.
"We hope that the nation's MPs will have toughness and firmness in this matter and that Ryanair will be obliged to act in accordance with the labour legislation and the constitution of our country."
Trade unions representing the crew and pilots in Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and Portugal will meet in Rome to set the parameters for a new stoppage this September.
SNPVAC predicts that 90% of the Ryanair crew based in Portugal will join the strike. Wage conditions, entitlement to parental leave, termination of disciplinary proceedings on the basis of medical emergencies and on-board sales targets are some of the trade union complaints.
Over the last few weeks, Ryanair has announced that it reached a pre-agreement with the Irish and Italian pilots' unions.
"These agreements reveal the real progress being made by Ryanair in the negotiations with its pilots and their respective unions in several European markets," Ryanair’s Eddie Wilson said in a statement last week.
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