Ryanair's Irish union extends vote on possible strike action

Ryanair’s Irish union extended a ballot on industrial action by two weeks on Tuesday, saying its members wanted more time to consider the move, which could lead to a strike. Europe’s biggest budget airline averted widespread strikes before last Christmas by agreeing to recognise trade unions for the first time in its 32-year history. But the airline has since struggled to reach agreement on terms in some countries. The Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) said it would ballot pilots if a new system for dealing with base allocations, promotions, and leave was not introduced. IALPA began the ballot last week, a letter to members Monday showed and the results were due on Tuesday. However, a memo circulated by IALPA later Monday said it had extended the vote to July 3, giving pilots more time to consider “such an important matter” and avoiding a clash with a meeting of Ryanair’s unions across Europe organised by the European Cockpit Association. “It is self-evident that Ryanair and its on-going disputes with pilots across Europe will be a feature on the agenda of the ECA Conference,” it said.<br/>