Ryanair airline pilots based in Portugal have decided to halt the strike scheduled for December 20, according to a Civil Aviation Pilots Union statement.
"Ryanair's decision to recognize the SPAC union as the representative organisation of its pilots in Portugal and their commitment to start negotiations with the aim of establishing a business agreement led to the decision," the statement read.
Last Friday, the Irish airline showed a willingness to negotiate with the pilot unions, the first time that it has recognised them as an official negotiator with the company.
The aim of Ryanair’s management is to avoid pre-Christmas disruption in a strike that is scheduled for several European countries, including Portugal.
In a statement released on Friday, Ryanair boss, Michael O'Leary, reported that he had sent letters to explain the decision to pilot groups in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland, inviting them to enter negotiations with the company.
"Ryanair is going to change the old policy of not recognising the unions to avoid threats of inconvenience to customers during Christmas week," said O’Leary, in a climb down from the company’s previous policy of not recognising unions.
The letter, sent on the day that the company's pilots in Italy were to strike, led to the cancellation of the four-hour action.
Ryanair pilots from Spain and Germany also voted in favour of other disruptive actions although they did not divulge details on what these would be.
