News on HRM, 12 Sept 2013

SOCIALIZE IT ⇨

Airline pilots demand safety investigation

12 Sept 2013

Pilots at Europe’s largest budget airline, Ryanair, feel repressed from reporting safety concerns and want the relevant watchdogs to emphasise the impact of safety of the company’s employment practices.

The views were aired by a group of pilots seeking union representation.

The carrier’s low-fare no-frills service has seen the controversial charging for items ranging from reserving seats, to payment by most credit cards, to checking in at the airport and bringing carry-on bags.

The unofficial Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG) had interviewed over 1,000 of their fellow pilots and first officers, and found that 94% of them wanted watchdogs to conduct an investigation over the impact of employment practices on safety.

The group also said that 89% did not think the airline had an open and transparent safety culture while two-thirds were uncomfortable with raising issues through an internal reporting system.

In addition, RPG added that almost 75% of Ryanair pilots are employed through agencies on zero-hour contracts that offer no guaranteed work.

This has led the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association trade union to state that such zero-hour contracts had some of the worst conditions in the industry. Such examples include having the pilot to fly when he is sick or not reporting whether the aircraft is carrying enough fuel.

The news comes after the Irish Aviation Association (IAA) launched an investigation following emergency landings by three Ryanair aircraft in Spain after they approached their minimum required fuel level.

B & B