Czech transport union Odborový svaz dopravy has been supporting Ryanair cabin crew in the Prague base for a couple of months now. What started as guidance in setting up union structures and getting the union officially recognised, turned into a fight for the right to organise last week, when Ryanair fired three of the leading members.
After months of organising efforts by the Ryanair cabin crew, the newly established union B.United went public on 28 May, requesting a meeting with the company’s management. Only a day later, the three leading union members were fired, turning what could be a beginning of quality social dialogue in the Prague base into a blatant attack on workers’ rights.
The union sees the termination of the three workers’ contracts as unlawful and is providing them with legal support. They will stand with the workers throughout this process, wherever it may take them – through negotiations and to potential representation at court. The Czech labour law governs the workers’ contracts, and the company will need to answer for their actions.
While these events come during a global pandemic, the union affirms that they will not accept the company’s argumentation that these dismissals are part of the general reorganisation currently afoot in European aviation. The crisis cannot be used as an excuse for illegal actions by Ryanair, and OSD is committed to continuing the fight and making sure that the company does not get off easy. The right to organise, one of the basic workers’ rights, is at stake.