Defiant O'Leary says union recognition sets stage for Ryanair expansion

Ryanair CE Michael O'Leary broke months of media silence Tuesday to defend his decision to recognise unions for the first time in 32 years, saying it would allow his airline to expand and help to keep staff costs down. In his first interview since Friday's surprise decision to accept unionisation to stave off a string of Christmas strikes, O'Leary said the move was his idea and that he would not step down. His action knocked more than 10% off the company's shares. But he also warned unions that he would not be a soft-touch and if they put forward unreasonable demands he would simply shift planes and jobs to other jurisdictions. "This is not a ruse. This is serious," O'Leary said of the decision, which he said was "in many respects my idea" and which he ran past the company's board of directors Thursday night. <br/>