Series of 24-hour stoppages to take place between 18 and 29 September

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Ryanair pilots in the UK are to strike for a further seven days in September, the union has announced.

The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said its members would walk out for a series of 24-hour stoppages between 18 and 29 September, adding that Ryanair had refused to seek conciliation talks at Acas to resolve the dispute over pay and working conditions.

The carrier has managed to operate all of its scheduled UK flights this week despite a three-day strike by domestic pilots, partly by bringing in more contractors and moving its pilots from around Europe.

The union admitted that the strikes to date, including a two-day stoppage in late August, had a “limited impact” on the travelling public but caused considerable internal disruption at the airline.

Balpa blamed Ryanair intransigence for adding the new dates over an extended period. The general secretary, Brian Strutton, said: “We are clear that we want to settle the dispute and bring about a change in Ryanair for the better.

“Pilots in Ryanair are seeking the same kind of policies and agreements that exist in other airlines – our demands are not unreasonable. We want to address issues like pensions; loss of licence insurance; maternity benefits; allowances; and harmonise pay across the UK in a fair, transparent, and consistent structure.

“Ryanair should stop dragging its feet and get back to the negotiating table.”

The airline described the strikes as “pointless and failed”. It said it had operated all 820 flights on Tuesday without cancellation as well as the first wave of flights on Wednesday morning, the last day of the current walkout.

It has been embroiled in disputes with cabin crew and pilots across Europe since agreeing to recognise unions last year. A planned strike by Irish pilots, which would have made it far harder for Ryanair to cope with the Balpa walkout, was stopped by an injunction granted by courts in Ireland.

Ryanair said: “We call on Balpa to return to talks to resolve any issues of genuine concern for our UK pilots, where Balpa’s strikes have totally failed.”