(Alliance News) - The British Airline Pilots Association on Tuesday said that Ryanair Holdings PLC has proposed cutting 336 pilot jobs in the UK in addition to slashing salaries by 20%.
"Ryanair has also proposed 20% pay cuts and other reductions in terms and conditions saying it would dismiss and re-engage on the revised terms if agreement to the changes was not reached," the trade union said.
BALPA General Secretary Brian Strutton said: "The hypocrisy of Ryanair taking GBP600 million in support from the British government which it previously said it did not want is hardly surprising and neither is their cavalier treatment of loyal staff. The company is sitting on EUR4.1 billion cash including this latest funding via the Bank of England, and its balance sheet is, in its own words, 'one of the strongest in the industry' yet it still wants to make redundancies and impose pay cuts."
"Our question is what assurances did the UK government get from Ryanair about its workers before the Bank of England handed out the cash? Funding an airline whose own state isn’t offering a penny, when that airline goes on to treat its own staff like this, beggars belief," Strutton added.
Earlier in May, Ryanair said it could slash up to 3,000 jobs in response to destructive effects the Covid-19 pandemic has had on travel.
Ryanair stock closed 1.7% higher at EUR9.95 pence each on Tuesday in London.
By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com
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