Ryanair, German union eye further talks during pilots' strike vote

German labour union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said it had agreed with Ryanair's management to continue negotiations this month, even as it ballots the carrier's pilots in Germany for industrial action. Ryanair last year agreed to recognise unions for the first time to try to avert strikes and resolve a staffing crunch, but is struggling to reach agreements in some countries. VC was the first union to carry out a threat to strike at Ryanair last year, although the disruption was limited. The German pilots have until the end of July to cast their votes on whether to stage further walkouts. VC said Monday that while Ryanair's management had signalled it could make some concessions on the structure of its labour agreements, these should not lead to an increase in staff costs. <br/>