BALPA: Ryanair pilot sacked over Union leaflet; Tribunal Tuesday
21-Mar-2011 A Ryanair pilot who gave a union recruitment leaflet to a member of his cabin crew has been sacked by the airline, which is known for its anti-union stance.
James Anderson, 45, an experienced pilot who has flown with Ryanair since March 2001 and is a member of BALPA (British Airline Pilots' Association), was dismissed for giving to one of his cabin crew a union recruitment leaflet from Unite, the union which organises flight attendants.
James Anderson is taking Ryanair to an Employment Tribunal, citing unfair dismissal, and the case will be heard at the East London Employment Tribunal, Stratford, from Tuesday 22 to Friday 25 March.
Ryanair is alleging that giving the leaflet to a member of cabin crew while the aircraft was in flight was unsafe. But BALPA understands that the Tribunal will hear evidence that the plane was at a cruising altitude, on automatic pilot, with a co- pilot at the controls and that in these circumstances pilots are free to eat, drink, go to the toilet, and talk to cabin crew.
In addition, on one occasion when Ryanair say that Captain Anderson talked to crew members about trade union membership the aircraft was on the ground.
Said Jim McAuslan, General Secretary of BALPA: 'BALPA is proud to be supporting James Anderson's case, as the Union believes that he should never have been dismissed in these circumstances.'