Ryanair's UK cabin crew to be represented by union for first time

Cabin crew at Ryanair in the UK will be represented by a union for the first time after Unite signed a recognition agreement with the airline. About 650 staff working from Ryanair’s UK bases could be covered by the deal, with the union able to represent them in talks on pay, hours and holidays. The news follows similar agreements with two Italian cabin crew unions five days ago, when the airline said it hoped to sign more recognition deals in the coming weeks. The rights for crew came after months of talks following Ryanair’s announcement late last year that it would recognise unions – a move prompted by a shortage of pilots. Many crew members remain indirectly employed via agencies such as Crewlink and will not come under the remit of the Unite deal. Unite, which represents more than 25,000 cabin crew across airlines operating from the UK, said it had secured full consultation rights and collective bargaining for Ryanair’s employees, from whom three union representatives will be drawn, with paid time off for union duties. The Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, said it was a “historic agreement and a significant step by Ryanair”, and urged all crew to join the union.<br/>