The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has secured a significant legal victory against Ryanair, as the Court of Appeal ruled that the airline’s practice of blacklisting pilots who participated in lawful strikes was illegal. This judgment confirms that Ryanair breached the Blacklisting Regulations by withdrawing travel benefits from pilots who exercised their right to strike in 2019. The court emphasized that such retaliatory actions are both unacceptable and unlawful, setting a powerful precedent for the entire trade union movement.
The case originated when BALPA called for a strike among Ryanair pilots in 2019. In response, Ryanair threatened to revoke concessionary travel benefits for employees who participated in the industrial action and subsequently removed these benefits for 12 months. With BALPA’s support, the affected pilots argued that Ryanair’s conduct amounted to blacklisting under UK regulations designed to protect workers from discriminatory practices. The Court of Appeal’s ruling decisively confirms this stance.
This landmark decision reinforces the principle that workers’ rights to organize and engage in lawful strikes are sacrosanct. BALPA’s victory highlights the critical role trade unions play in defending these rights and ensuring employers are held accountable for any breaches. BALPA General Secretary, Amy Leversidge, stated, “This is a huge win for BALPA and the trade union movement more generally… we hope that this judgment will make employers think twice before relying on other harmful strike-busting tactics in the aviation sector and beyond.”
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