Ryanair faces summer strikes as Irish pilots vote for action

Ryanair is facing pilot strikes in its Irish home market next week, in what may become the most significant confrontation between the carrier and organised labour to date. A poll of Ryanair cockpit crew produced a 94 to 1 vote in favour of industrial action including strikes, a spokesman for the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association said Tuesday, with the walkout set for July 12. The announcement comes as the Dublin-based airline’s busy summer season approaches its peak. The Irish ballot is the latest in a series of labour battles flaring across Europe as Ryanair thrashes out new deals after agreeing in December to recognise unions for the first time in its 32-year history. Germany’s Vereinigung Cockpit is balloting members who fly with the airline in a dispute over pay and working conditions with the outcome due later this month. <br/>