Ryanair has ordered some of its flight attendants in Spain to give up thousands of euros in pay increases amid a lawsuit with a union.
Last year, the company reached an agreement with the Spanish union CCOO to raise wages.
However, another union, the Union Sindical Obrera (USO), challenged the agreement in January, and a Spanish High Court judge subsequently ruled the wage agreement invalid.
As a result, Ryanair has notified USO members that they must return five months of their pay bonus.
In a letter seen by the PA news agency, Ryanair told workers the court's decision had “led to a situation of overpayment”.
“You received increased salaries from October 24 to March 25, which are now considered invalid,” the letter states.
“We are prepared to offer a 12-month repayment plan with deductions, starting with the June payslip.”
Ryanair has also reached a limited wage agreement with members of another union, the CCOO, which exempts them from pay deductions.
The USO said the wage increase Ryanair is asking union members for could be as much as €3,000.
A USO spokesman told PA that Ryanair was “discriminating on the basis of union affiliation”.
They added that Ryanair had also “constantly (via emails and multiple deadline changes) recommended that passengers register with CCOO to avoid penalties.”
In a separate letter sent by Ryanair to the union, attempts to challenge the payments were described as a “farce”.
The airline wrote: “If you wish to sue us to enforce a court order you have won, that is entirely your decision.”
The statement said USO members “will be contacted and informed of the amounts they are owed as a result of your actions.”
A Ryanair spokesman said: “USOs are complaining about pay cuts as a result of the legal proceedings.
“Ryanair is complying with the USO's court order to reduce wages while the appeal is pending.
“The USO is a small minority union with no support from our crew, the vast majority of whom have wages and working conditions protected by an agreement with the CCOO.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
