German union says Ryanair pilots vote to strike over pay

BERLIN – A German labour union says pilots at budget airline Ryanair have voted to stage a strike unless a dispute over pay is resolved in the coming days.

The union, Vereinigung Cockpit, said Monday that 96 per cent of pilots voted in favour of industrial action.

It accused the airline of “playing for time” in talks since January with pilots over a collective pay agreement.

The union said it is “offering Ryanair a final deadline to submit a workable proposal by Aug. 6, 2018.”

Ryanair has seen staff in Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Belgium go on strike over pay in recent months.

Europe’s second biggest airline by passenger numbers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A strike next week would affect thousands of German passengers returning from summer holidays.