European airlines go ballistic over French air traffic controller strike
European airlines go ballistic over French air traffic controller strike
Ryanair boss denounced Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen as a “useless politician” for not acting to protect flights.
A company boss complaining about workers who strike.
Nothing really new here.
Our attitude should be that anyone complaining about strikes should be immediately excluded from society, unable to get rewarded or get a new fancy job & forced to start the career over.
Basically what we (apparently) do to people protesting against funding genocides & climate change we should be doing to people oppressing workers bcs they want profits to be higher.
Just deal with the strike, make it work without a stick or accept your business isn't viable (or at least not with you in it).
People should be allowed to complain most of the time the complaining helps bring attention to the protest. Otherwise most wouldn't be known to the public.
There are ways to strike which are better than others. In some countries they simply don't collect fares, so the user is not hindered, but the cost of a strike is still felt by the employer. Maybe this doesn't work for air travel, but it works for other services.
There are rules (strict laws with fines & prison time) to strikes depending on sectors.
Eg basic infrastructure workers (doctors, bus drivers, etc) can't strike by not working, which I think you were referring from. I think that does makes sense otherwise innocent people can die or really suffer.
But where public's lives aren't at stake, the users sold def feel the strike & know what the company they are financially supporting doesn't wasn't to do.
But laws too can get very corrupt very quickly, eg USA presidents totally outlawing strikes on sector or per company basis (bcs pocket monies).
anyone complaining about strikes should be immediately excluded from society, unable to get rewarded
But in reality, such people get new fancy boss positions 😉
Yes, true.
And in return held in higher regard even by average workers (perhaps not in that one specific company tho).
Staffing shortages played a role in a near-collision between an easyJet plane and a private jet at the Bordeaux airport in December 2022, according to French investigators. They found that three controllers were working in the tower at the time of the incident instead of the six required by the duty roster.
This should be the key aspect here. If we elevate the ramblings of Ryan Air to become any basis of policy, we should prepare for it to become normal that people are being killed in plane crashes in France.
“It is indefensible that today that I'm canceling flights from Ireland to Italy, from Germany to Spain, from Portugal to Poland,” O'Leary said.
The budget airline chief blamed the European Union, and specifically European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for the situation.
looks puzzled
Is the European Commission responsible for mediating union disputes?
The strike, which took place on Thursday and Friday, was over disputes between two unions and the French directorate general for civil aviation
I mean, this sounds like it's between the French government and French unions.
From the article: O'Leary said that of Ryanair’s 400 cancellations caused by the strike, “360, or 90 percent of those flights, would operate if the Commission protected the overflights as Spain, Italy and Greece do during air traffic control strikes.”
“Von der Leyen and the Commission made a big song and dance during Brexit about: 'We must protect the single market, the single market is sacrosanct, nothing would be allowed to disrupt the single market,'” he said. “Unless you're a French air traffic controller and you can shut down the sky over France.”
From me: I don't think it's unreasonable to require strike actions to not affect non french traffic. In wartime, air traffic control continues. Countries in conflict wills till communicate with air traffic control. It makes sense for it to be an apolitical system and strikes are effectively political.
That needs to be balanced with the right to strike which is quite strong in France! Frances central location in Europe would affect quite a number of flights.
People still work during war time. I dont think it is a fair comparison.
The goal of strikes is to leverage the only collective mean that workers have by deciding to lay down their work.
Nothing is keeping airlines from routing around France. It just costs a bit more money. And frankly it is rich that Ryan Air is complaining here. They are probably one of the strongest price gougers and co-responsible for people striking in all aspects of aviation.
I mean, this sounds like it's between the French government and French unions
If it's causing issues with flights in other countries, which it sounds like it is, then it is the EU's business...but ideally, they'd just pressure the French government to cave to the unions' demands. Fat chance though, lol
Wont somebody think of the profits
Kevin has been angry about this for a while, here's March 2023: https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/ryanair-launches-eu-passenger-petition/