Ryanair braces for biggest ever 1-day strike

Ryanair is bracing for its biggest-ever 1-day strike Friday with pilots based in 5 European countries set to walk out, forcing the cancellation of about 1 in 6 of its daily flights at the height of the holiday season. Ryanair, which averted widespread strikes before Christmas by agreeing to recognise unions for the first time in its 30-year history, has been unable to quell rising protests since over slow progress in negotiating collective labour agreements. In response to unions serving Ryanair strike notices, the carrier has announced in recent days the cancellations of 250 flights in and out Germany, 104 to and from Belgium and another 42 in Sweden and its home market of Ireland, where around a quarter of its pilots were staging their fifth 24-hour walkout. <br/>