Ryanair last night urged the UK pilots union to resume talks after a further seven days of strikes were announced.
The British Airline Pilots Association said the fresh strike dates were being confirmed following the carrier’s refusal to seek talks at the conciliation service Acas.
Ryanair UK pilot members of the union have already staged five days of strikes, including three this week, in the dispute over pay and conditions.
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The new dates have been set for September 18-19, 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29.
The no-frills carrier insists that it has been able to operate all flights without any cancellations despite the walkouts.
But Balpa said it has been left with no choice but to add more dates given Ryanair’s “intransigence”.
The union’sgeneral secretary Brian Strutton said: “We are clear that we want to settle the dispute and bring about a change in Ryanair for the better.
“Pilots in Ryanair are seeking the same kind of policies and agreements that exist in other airlines – our demands are not unreasonable. We want to address issues like pensions; loss of licence insurance; maternity benefits; allowances; and harmonise pay across the UK in a fair, transparent, and consistent structure.
“While this action has considerably disrupted Ryanair, forcing them to engage contractors and bring in foreign crews to run its operation, it has had limited impact on the public’s travel plans.
“Ryanair should stop dragging its feet and get back to the negotiating table.”
A spokesperson for the airline said: “These latest Balpa strikes are pointless given that during sive days of strikes all Ryanair flights to/from UK airports operated as scheduled – with zero cancellations – thanks to the efforts of over 95% of our UK pilots who flew as rostered and did not support these failed Balpa strikes.
“We again call on Balpa to return to talks as these failed strikes have not achieved anything.”
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