Ryanair and pilots fail to reach agreement after marathon 12-hour talks

TALKS BETWEEN RYANAIR and pilots union Fórsa will enter a fourth day today, after 12-hour negotiations concluded last night without a deal.

Both parties have been locked in discussions since Monday, in an effort to resolve the industrial dispute that has seen Irish-based pilots strike on five days since the beginning of July.

The pilots are seeking improved terms on issues including leave, promotion and base transfers.

The assistance of independent facilitator Kieran Mulvey, who formerly headed the Workplace Relations Commission – has been enlisted to help reach an agreement.

It was expected that the talks at Dublin Airport would have concluded yesterday, but discussions stretched past midnight without a deal.

Talks also lasted 12 hours on Tuesday.

While the union repeatedly stressed that its members had “reasonable demands”, Ryanair has called strikes as “irresponsible” and “unwarranted”.

At the request of Mulvey, both sides are refraining from further comment until a deal has been reached.