The Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG) is an unrecognized labor union formed in 2012 by pilots working for the low cost Irish airline, Ryanair. The RPG consists solely (with the exception of the interim council) of pilots flying Ryanair aircraft and allows pilots to register via their online website. More than 50% of pilots in Ryanair are registered and represented by the RPG in all categories (i.e. Rank and Contract Type).
The RPG primary slogan is "Professional Treatment for Professional Pilots"
Ryanair Recognition
In a landmark Irish Supreme Court case of Ryanair Limited v Labour Court & Impact in 2007, Mr Justice Geoghegan stated, that:
“As a matter of law Ryanair is perfectly entitled not to deal with trade unions nor can a law be passed compelling them to do so. There is an obvious danger however in a non-unionised company that employees may be exploited and may have to submit to what most reasonable people would consider to be grossly unfair terms and conditions of employment.
As of October 2013, Ryanair has not officially recognized the Ryanair Pilot Group. In an August 2013 interview, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary dismissed the group as a "joke" and claimed that the pilots group was an attempt by pilot unions from other airlines to unionise Ryanair. Following a comment from the Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary in August 2013 in which he agreed to meet with the RPG if more than 1601 pilots were registered with them, an invitation to talk was sent by the RPG. In response, Ryanair released a short statement, stating that "We don’t comment on the activity or false claims of KLM or Aer Lingus pilots,” a reference to the five-member interim council of the Ryanair Pilot Group consisting of non-Ryanair pilots.