by Stefania Fumo
ROME, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Italian consumer associations on Thursday announced they are taking legal action against Irish low-cost airline Ryanair over its refusal to compensate hundreds of passengers left stranded by a two-day strike that began on Wednesday.
Ryanair pilots and cabin crew went on a strike over a pay dispute and other demands, forcing the budget airline to cancel 132 flights across the country.
The strike also took place in Belgium, Portugal, and Spain, causing the Irish airline to reportedly ground a total of 600 flights at the peak of summer holiday travel season.
"Ryanair's behavior is a clear violation of European Union regulations and court rulings," Codacons consumer association said in a statement, announcing it reported the company for fraud to 28 prosecutors' offices in many Italian cities where Ryanair operates.
Under EU rules, airlines must compensate passengers anywhere from 250-600 euros in case of delays of over three hours or in case of flight cancellations.
However, Ryanair said the strike is an exceptional circumstance, which exonerates it from reimbursing passengers.
Altroconsumo consumers association, which offers legal aid in claiming compensation, begged to differ.
"Contrary to Ryanair's statements, the strike had been scheduled for some time ...and therefore is not an exceptional circumstance as defined by the European Court of Justice," Altroconsumo said in a statement.
Union representatives from 12 European countries decided to hold the strike at a meeting in Dublin in early July.
In a joint statement, Italy's Filt-CGIL and UILtrasporti air transport workers unions accused Ryanair of paying its employees 8,000 euros less a year than other comparable low-cost airlines, such as EasyJet and Norwegian.
The unions also demanded the company recognize the unions, negotiate a collective bargaining contract, respect seniority, compensate workers for cancelled flights and last-minute transfers, and provide paid sick leave.
Another grievance is that the airline puts unfair pressure on flight attendants, promoting those who reach in-flight sales targets and taking disciplinary action against those who fail to sell snacks, beverages, cosmetics and other products to passengers during the flight.
Ryanair, whose motto is "Always Getting Better" says on its corporate website that it employs 13,000 "skilled professionals" and operates a fleet of over 450 aircraft from 87 bases across Europe, flying over 130 million passengers a year on 2,000 daily routes to 37 countries.
