Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary poses for a photo ahead of the start of a news conference in Rome, Italy, February 28, 2018. REUTERS\/Max Rossi<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

R<\/span>yanair<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0and its Italian pilots union ANPAC said on Wednesday they were close to a deal on formal recognition and working conditions in what would be a major breakthrough in the airline\u2019s efforts to avoid strike action across Europe.<\/p>\n

A deal in Italy would mean pilots in two of the airline\u2019s three largest markets – Britain, Italy and Spain – would have reached provisional agreement with management.<\/p>\n

In Ryanair\u2019s biggest market, Britain\u2019s BALPA union signed a recognition deal in January and Ryanair\u2019s Chief Operations Officer Peter Bellew on Tuesday said talks with the SELPA pilot union in its third biggest market in Spain were \u201cvery positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are really going fast. At the next meeting we may be able to sign an agreement,\u201d ANPAC official Riccardo Canestrari told Reuters following a meeting with Ryanair management.<\/p>\n

At a press conference in Rome, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O\u2018Leary said he hoped to sign an agreement at their next meeting with the airline\u2019s management in two weeks\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

The airline averted widespread strikes ahead of Christmas by announcing plans to recognize pilots\u2019 unions for the first time in its 32-year history and is talking with unions across Europe on formal recognition.<\/p>\n

But progress had been slow and O\u2018Leary has warned that the company may face strike action at Easter or the summer.<\/p>\n

A union representing Ryanair cabin crew in Portugal this week announced it would hold three one-day strikes during the Easter holidays.<\/p>\n

Management hopes that by reaching quick agreement with unions in its largest markets that it can avoid widespread disruption.<\/p>\n

ANPAC\u2019s Canestrari said that the union was negotiating a common pay scale for Ryanair pilots across Italy, its second biggest market, as well as other working conditions such as tax, paternal leave and rostering.<\/p>\n

He said his understanding was that on completion of the agreement, the union would become the only official representative body for Ryanair pilots in Italy, replacing the airline\u2019s Employee Representative Committees – a key demand by pilots in other jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

The unofficial pan-European EERC body set up by pilots could have a role in pan-European questions like the transfer of pilots between jurisdictions, but primary negotiations on working conditions would take place with national unions, Canestrari said.<\/p>\n

O\u2018Leary said Ryanair was also negotiating with Italy\u2019s ANPAV flight assistants\u2019 union and hopes to reach a deal with them too shortly.<\/p>\n

\n
• Reuters – Rome<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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