A FORMER Ryanair pilot who claims he was forced to resign did not communicate fears that he was being deliberately underpaid and having his roster manipulated by the company, an Employment Appeals Tribunal heard yesterday.
Joe Peard, a Dublin man now living in Dubai, told the tribunal that he thought he had "hit the jackpot" when he started with the airline. But he said his relationship with the company deteriorated and he eventually believed it would be "pointless" to complain about the matters.
Mr Peard claims Ryanair constructively dismissed him by denying him promotion, manipulating the roster to reduce his pay, and deliberately underpaying him.
He worked with the airline for more than four years before handing in his notice on June 29th of last year. Ryanair disputes the claims.
The tribunal heard that Mr Peard and a number of colleagues took victimisation cases against the airline over "eroding" conditions in 2004 and being asked to pay €15,000, or sign into a five- year bond, to enter a training programme to learn how to fly a new fleet of aircraft in 2005.
Mr Peard said he felt the subsequent legal actions had negatively affected his position in the company and hindered his progress in rising from the rank of first officer to captain. He alleged that other pilots who had taken cases against the airline were promoted when their claims were dropped.
"What is at stake here is whether I have legal rights or have to give up my legal rights to progress my career," he said.
Frank Beatty, representing Ryanair, asked the claimant as to why he had not expressed his concerns about payment and rostering to Ryanair and initiated a grievance procedure, as was standard policy.
Mr Peard said he believed, because of his legal claims, that the grievance procedure would not have been "worthwhile" as it would have ended up on the desk of Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary. Mr Peard said he did not know what Mr O'Leary would have been "capable" of doing about the matter.
Mr Beatty said he was surprised to hear the claimant would be willing to file legal proceedings against the company, but not initiate an internal grievance procedure.He said that even though an offer to be included in the captains' upgrade programme was made to him, if he dropped the legal actions, he was not convinced he could progress, even if he met required criteria.
The tribunal also heard of an encounter between Mr Peard and a senior Ryanair captain named Ray Conway at about the time of his resignation. He claimed that Mr Conway said he'd be "f***king mad" to leave the airline and advised him to drop the proceedings. The hearing was provisionally adjourned until March 3rd.
