Ryanair to announce 'hundreds' of Irish redundancies this week
by Jack QuannThe CEO of Ryanair Michael O'Leary says the airline is to announce redundancies of Irish pilots and cabin crew later this week.
He told Newstalk Breakfast:"Redundancies are inevitable in the airline industry here in Ireland and the airport.
"Everybody knows we're going to be carrying far fewer passengers for the next 12 months".
He says while Ryanair is due to fly from July on almost every route, "we'll only be operating about 40% of the flights we did July last year.
He said "airports, the bus companies, the hotels, and the airlines" will be affected.
"Later this week Ryanair will be announcing redundancies among our pilots and cabin crew in Ireland.
"We're trying to limit the number through pay cuts, but if we don't get the pay cuts there are going to be very significant job loses - it's unavoidable".
The airline is in a consultation process with the unions, but Mr O'Leary said a consultation on redundencies will start later on this week.
"It's numbers in hundreds, I hope, rather than thousands."
But he said: "Across the company though, it's going to be about 3,000 pilots and cabin crew.
"We've already lost 250 colleagues here from our Dublin, Madrid and Polish offices.
"These are very painful decisions, but if we don't take them we won't survive".
He also hit out at plans for a public sector pay rise, which is due in October.
"Anybody who thinks that they're entitled to or deserve a pay rise at a time when... this country, this year will borrow about €30bn extra just to stay afloat is living in cloud cuckoo land.
"But with the greatest of respect, the public sector are insulated from the harshness of the reality of what's happening over the last two or three months.
"They're all still on full pay, and we don't begrudge them that.
"But the idea that you'd be coming back looking for a pay increase later this year when we will be facing unemployment in Ireland north of 20% is not in touch with reality".
Earlier this month, Ryanair said it reduced its office headcount in Dublin, London, Madrid and Wroclaw through a combination of probation/fixed term contract ends, resignations and redundancies.
The carrier said these people will not be required to return to work on June 1st, when the Ryanair offices re-open.
It added that this was due to the "substantial decline in traffic" due to the coronavirus.
Listen to Michael O'Leary's full interview below:
Ryanair to announce 'hundreds' of Irish redundancies this week
