Ryanair pilots have asked company shareholders to replace the company's leadership because they believe the current model of employment and management has failed.
The call was made in a statement endorsed by Ryanair's pilots’ unions, including Portugal’s Civil Aviation Pilots' Union.
Ryanair "needs competent leaders who are focused on a clear and different future, instead of following a failed employment model which resulted in the collapse of operations in September 2017," the Ryanair unions said in its joint statement.
"There is an urgent need to have a management team able to adapt to the future needs of the company, to engage properly with its employees and to ensure the conditions to have a sustainable and profitable business for the future," they added.
Pilots say that the relationship between Ryanair's management and its employees "has become totally dysfunctional" and is "endangering the company's continued success."
"Regardless of demands for union recognition and improved employee relations, the approach taken under Michael O'Leary's leadership for over 20 years remains unchanged," the statement reads.
"Management seems unable to speak in good faith to its own employees and their actions to date are seen by us often as intimidating, antagonistic and as a cause for disruption in operations and labour unrest, rather than creating a positive and cohesive work environment for the future," claim the pilots.
The pilots say they now have, "lost all confidence in the current leadership and management. This leadership failure is exacerbated by an apparent lack of oversight by management, the president and non-executive directors, which has allowed the worsening of the current negative situation and the environment of uncertainty."
According to Ryanair pilots, airline officials and shareholders "will pay an unnecessary price for such a failure for many years to come."
Ryanair has been involved in a conflict with trade unions across Europe which is having an impact in Portugal, notably a cabin crew strikes where the company was accused of intimidating its workers.
The second European strike by Ryanair workers is scheduled for 28 September, after the unions representing the cabin crew went on strike in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium on 25 and 26 July.
