DUBLIN, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Irish airline Ryanair pilots have suspended their one-day strike planned on Wednesday largely due to the concessions made by the airline's management, reported local daily newspaper Irish Independent on Monday.
The decision made by Ryanair pilots' trade union IALPA (Irish Air Line Pilots' Association) to suspend its planned pre-Christmas strike came late Sunday night as the management of the airline agreed over the weekend to meet the union's demand to recognize IMPACT, a trade union in Ireland, as its representatives, said the report.
A meeting between Ryanair pilots and the airline's management will be held on Tuesday evening local time to finalize the issue between the two sides,said IALPA in a statement.
The threat to launch a strike on Wednesday was first initiated by a group of 100-plus pilots of IALPA after their demand to recognize IMPACT as their representatives was turned down by Ryanair's management, according to local media reports.
The purpose of demanding Ryanair's management to recognize IMPACT as IALPA's representatives is to better protect the union's interest as IMPACT is the largest and most influential trade union in Ireland's public service sector with over 63,500 members.
In a statement released late Sunday night, IMPACT paid tribute to the "principled determination of Ryanair pilots", which it said had "made this breakthrough possible".
It added that it hoped the suspension of the strike would "remove any uncertainty for passengers intending to travel on Wednesday".
Prior to the concession made by Ryanair's management, the airline had announced back-up measures to minimize the disruptions likely to be caused by the planned strike. The measures include bringing in more pilots of Ryanair to the would-be affected flight routes and renting planes from other airlines.
The concession made by Ryanair to the demands of its pilot union is reportedly the first of its kind over its 32-year-old history and its impact on the business model of the largest low-cost flight airline in Europe is yet to be assessed, according to local industrial watchers.
