The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) – representing over 10,000 pilots in the UK – has launched a survey among Ryanair pilots in response to growing dissatisfaction with the company.

Among other questions there is one asking whether pilots would be prepared to support industrial action to achieve their objectives and one asking if those on agency contracts would support a group legal action to establish employee or worker rights.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:

“The desire amongst pilots to change Ryanair for the better is real. They tell us they are fed up with the way they are treated and that’s why they are saying no to big pay rises that have been offered by Ryanair management.

“At their request, BALPA has now issued a survey to all Ryanair pilots to gauge whether they would be prepared to take industrial action to support their aims and objectives.

“Ryanair is unique in the complexity of its employment structures. Many pilots who fly for Ryanair are not in fact employed by them but are agency workers, supplied through several different third-, or even fourth-party companies. In our survey we are also asking whether the pilots would like us to test the legality of these structures through the courts. We will be guided by the Ryanair pilots in all of this work.”