Union to pay Ryanair injunction costs as dispute formally settled

A High Court dispute between Ryanair and trade union Fórsa over a threatened pilots strike in August 2019 was formally settled on Thursday with an agreement that the union will pay the airline’s costs up to October 2019.

Under the terms of the settlement handed into Mr Justice Brian O’Moore, the union will pay the airline’s costs up to October 2019, which mainly relate to proceedings over an injunction Ryanair obtained stopping the 48-hour strike over pay and conditions. Each party will bear its own costs after that date.

The settlement also stated Ryanair and Fórsa have entered into an industrial relations agreement as to the conduct of industrial relations and the resolution of such disputes.

Martin Hayden SC, with Eoin O’Shea, said from Ryanair’s point of view the process has been one which has “hopefully now hit a reset button” in the relationship and that the matter can “get back on a normal footing”.

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Rossa Fanning SC, with Jason Murray, said he was consenting to the order for Ryanair’s costs but only up to October 11th, 2019, which was essentially the costs of the injunction.

Counsel added that the expeditious way in which the court dealt with preliminary disputes over the discovery of documents concentrated the minds in terms of a resolution of the overall issues.

The judge said the parties had done well to settle the case, which he said he “would have relished actually hearing” due to the legal issues involved and the factual disputes that were going to have to be ventilated in court.

It was better the parties can now “go back to doing the things they do best”, he said.

The case centred on a claim by Ryanair DAC that it suffered millions in lost bookings and from the impact on fares arising from the planned industrial action which did not go ahead after the airline obtained the injunction.

It also claimed it suffered additional damage due to negative publicity and damage to its business and brand. The claims were denied.

The injunction was obtained on August 21st, 2019, preventing Fórsa, the parent union of pilots’ union Ialpa, from going ahead with the planned 48-hour strike from August 22, 2019.

The issue of liability in Ryanair’s main action, against Fórsa and 11 named individuals including Ialpa president Evan Cullen, was due to be heard on Wednesday when the settlement was first announced.