Ryanair warns unions to leave Buzz deal alone

Ryanair
bosses have told trade unions not to interfere with plans to cut the workforce
at Buzz, which it is buying, or it will shut down the carrier entirely.

Michael
O’Leary, Ryanair chief executive, announced the company is paying £15m for
loss-making Buzz, and intends to cut a fifth of its workforce, a quarter of its
routes and to cancel a planned base at Bournemouth.

O’Leary
said there was no question of negotiating with unions: "There’s no point
in sugaring pills. This is losing shedloads of money and has to be turned around.
We’re not going to sit around having consultations or going through some
laborious process. This is not stopping for anybody. For those who don’t want
to sign up to the project, the door’s out there on the left."

Unions,
including The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) and the Transport and
General Workers Unions, expressed concern at the plans.

Asked
what would happen if the pilots’ union Balpa took industrial action, O’Leary
said: "If Balpa wants to go on strike on 1 April, it won’t be a question
of sacking them. We will close down Buzz."

By
Quentin Reade

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