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Pilots of Ryanair in Germany join together

The German based pilots of the airline Ryanair founded a Company Council today under the umbrella of the German Airline Pilots Association (Vereinigung Cockpit) (VC).

For the first time, Ryanair pilots are organizing themselves in Germany in order to avoid the airline’s questionable treatment of its employees. The goal will be to positively influence Ryanair’s employment conditions. “What is self-evident for other employees in Germany, we must first achieve at Ryanair,” says a member of the Company Council. “Decent employment contracts instead of atypical employment is one of the main goals of the Company Council.”

Based on the principle, pilots for pilots, the Company Council is composed of active Ryanair pilots representing all groups. Members include Captains and First Officers who are directly employed as well as working for Ryanair on the so-called “Contractor model”. To protect the Company Council from possible reprisals from Ryanair, the members of the Council will remain anonymous for the time being.

The current situation at Ryanair creates uncertainty within the pilot body and puts unusual pressure on the employees. The on-going court trials and investigations, including many house searches in Germany, show just how dramatic the situation is for the Ryanair pilots.

“The founding of the Ryanair Company Council clearly shows that the airline’s pilots are no longer willing to accept the doubtful methods used by their employer. In the future, they will act united to achieve their basic employee rights,” says Ilja Schulz, president of the German Airlines Pilots Association.

“In Germany we have workers’ rights which apply to all pilots based here. Ryanair must finally acknowledge this. Ryanair pilots must be able to express their wishes and concerns about working conditions and salary without fear of discrimination from the management, ” says Schulz.

The newly formed group benefits from the long-standing experience of the German Airlines Pilots Association in aviation safety and employee representation within the aviation industry.

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 Contact:

Markus Wahl, Board Member and Spokesperson, Tel. 0176 / 16 959 001,

VC press office, Tel. 069 / 69 59 76 102

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VC ist the German Airline Pilots‘ Association. The fundamental objectives of the VC are contributing to the welfare and safety of civil aviation as well as ensuring and pursuing the interests of its 9,600 members regarding technical affairs and industrial affairs.

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V. i. S. d. P.: Vereinigung Cockpit, Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, phone.: 069 / 69 59 76 – 0, fax: 069 / 69 59 76 – 150; presse@vcockpit.de, www.VCockpit.de

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