Ryanair Says End 'Right To Strike'

Budget airline Ryanair has called for an end to the "right to strike" for air traffic control workers as further disruptive industrial action begins.

The no frills flier claimed that so far in 2010 it had been forced to cancel 1,650 flights and delay over 12,000 other flights as a direct result of Belgian, French and Spanish ATC strikes and work to rule campaigns.

The comments from Ryanair come as French trade unions prepare for a fresh wave of strikes against pension reform today. The latest strikes are expected to apply considerable pressure to President Nicolas Sarkozy's government as its unpopular bill edges closer to becoming law.

Trains, airports and seaports ran below capacity as the unions sought to raise the stakes in their long-running battle against measures whose main feature is a rise the minimum retirement age to 62 from 60.

Because of the upcoming action, Ryanair said it had been forced to cancel 250 flights overall, while Aer Lingus said it had cancelled two flights between Dublin and Charles de Gaulle but was planning to operate other services as normal.

Speaking this morning, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said: "It's time the 'right to strike' within Air Traffic Control was removed as it is for other essential services like the police and fire services. If these people don't want to work, then replace them with military and other controllers who do wish to work. The EU Commission must act to now end this… chaos."

Today in Paris, teachers, mail carriers, bus drivers and other French workers have tried to shut down the country in a showdown with President Nicolas Sarkozy over his government's attempt to raise the retirement age by two years to save money.

More than 200 street protests have been planned throughout the country, while last month, similar demonstrations brought at least one million people onto the streets, according to police estimates, though union organizers insisted turnout was three times as high.

(DW/BMcC)