European Court of Justice & Ryanair

With both sides claiming victory Ryanair and its pilot force are likely to be locked into further battles on aircrews legal status.

The problem is exacerbated with the airline employing some personnel through third party agencies.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg last week ruled in favour of cabin crew at Charleroi (Belgium) on the question of which court should decide on their complaint.  The Court said the place where a cabin crew’s aircraft is stationed should also be taken into account.

Philip von Schoeppenthau, secretary general of the European Cockpit Association, called the ruling a “landmark” decision that is a “ray of light for the thousands of pilots and cabin crew across Europe who have struggled to find legal protection at the place where they actually work on a daily basis, rather than being forced to seek judicial redress in Ireland”.

Ryanair’s Chief People Officer Eddie Wilson said: “We welcome this “Mons” case ruling which upholds the existing EU rules on the jurisdiction of Member States national courts, and accepts Ryanair’s position that just one criteria (ie basing) cannot unilaterally determine jurisdiction. We do not believe this “Mons” ruling will in any way alter our Irish contracts of employment or the union rights which all of our people enjoy under the protection of the Irish Constitution.”

www.ryanair.com

www.eurocockpit.be

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum