IMPACT calls off pre-Christmas strike planned by Ryanair pilots
IMPACT have suspended a planned one-day strike of Ryanair pilots next Wednesday.
It comes after management at the airline agreed to recognise the union as the representative of pilots based in Ireland.
The union has agreed to meet Ryanair management on Tuesday evening, but says it is available to meet sooner.
Some 117 directly-employed Ryanair pilots are involved in the dispute, making up the majority of the firm's captains in Ireland - meaning any walkout would have severely affected flights.
The dispute is about winning independent representation for pilots in the company, the union said.
They also asked management to release its Ryanair pilot representatives to prepare for and attend the meeting.
The union said it "acknowledged the principled determination of Ryanair pilots", which it said had made this breakthrough possible, and said it looked forward to "establishing a positive relationship with Ryanair company management".
They added that it hoped the suspension of industrial action would remove any uncertainty for passengers intending to travel on Wednesday.
Earlier today, IMPACT spokesman Niall Shanahan had said: "Realistically, we would meet them today, we would meet them in the next hour or so, because ultimately [as regards] the scheduled industrial action that's due to take place on Wednesday - we're not in a position to make a determination about that action until we've met the company, until we've established the substance in their offer for pilot representation through a trade union."
"All we have at the moment is the letter that came from Ryanair on Friday morning, indicating their willingness to recognise pilot unions.
"There is detail in that that needs to be explored. We need to establish the substance in that offer.
"The sooner we can meet them the sooner we can do that, the sooner we can make a determination about suspending the industrial action."
