Roca Junyent assessment of Spanish pilots of Ryanair
The Department of Labour at Madrid’s ROCA JUNYENT Office, led by the consultant partner Mr. Luis Enrique de la Villa Gil, has been advising and directing the legal strategy of the Union Section of RYANAIR’s SEPLA in the dispute maintained with the airline to acknowledge the application of Spanish labour law and the jurisdiction of our courts regarding its pilots.
Madrid, October 26, 2018.- Whereas in Europe, or even among cabin crew in Spain, they opted to call for a strike, Spanish pilots opted to go through the court by initiating collective legal actions, which have been essential to expediting negotiations that ultimately resulted in the signed agreement.
On Tuesday, the agreement, which marked a milestone in the company’s labour relations, prevented a trial through collective legal action, which was indicated for 30 October at the National Hearing.
Until now, the employment-class pilots hired by RYANAIR in Spain were subject to Irish labour law and to the courts of that nationality. The airline recognises the application of Spanish law, for probation periods and maternity and paternity leave periods from the same signing and in general before 31 January, 2019. Consequently, the jurisdiction of the Spanish courts and also the right of the SEPLA Union Section to appoint seven union delegates and negotiate a statutory collective bargaining agreement with them within the fringe covenant modality is acknowledged from that date on.
With respect to the pilots hired by RYANAIR through brokers or intermediary companies, the company agreed to offer employment contracts to crew members subject to this regime who are based in Spain, considering the requests that these pilots presented at the beginning of each year. In any case, SEPLA expressly reserves the right to exercise timely actions in favour of their employment contract.
Published in