London (AFP)

Ryanair pilots have called for a strike in the UK for Thursday and Friday, but the airline said Thursday its flights were unaffected.

Pilots members of the British trade union Balpa voted for work stoppages for these two days, as well as for the period from 2 to 4 September. Claims include wages, pensions and maternity benefits.

Ryanair however stressed on Thursday morning do not expect any disturbance because of this movement. "The first wave of flights to and from the UK departed this morning as planned, with a punctuality of 97% (due to delays related to air traffic control)," the group said.

Ryanair thanked "all the pilots in the UK who chose to work to ensure the flights and trips of our customers and their families for this extended weekend", Monday being a holiday in the country.

The Irish low-cost company had tried to block the move by the British justice, but the High Court of London rejected this appeal late Wednesday.

Balpa did not communicate immediately on his strike Thursday morning. On Wednesday evening, the union regretted that Ryanair's management had refused to take "the olive branch stretched by Balpa".

Once known the decision of the High Court, Balpa explained to have proposed to the company to resume the discussions on new bases, saying itself ready to lift its call to the strike. But the management has declined the offer, the union lamenting "a macho posture" Ryanair leaders inflating their muscles.

The court, however, blocked the strike in Ireland, where a work stoppage was also planned by Ryanair pilots on Thursday and Friday. Entered by Ryanair, the Dublin High Court ruled that this social movement must be "blocked".

The company argued during the hearing that a strike could not be conducted before a mediation process was over, further considering that Forsa's vote in favor of the strike had been precipitated and without very specific request.

Ryanair is, at the same time, confronted since Wednesday, and for five days, at a cabin crew strike in Portugal, which was dragging that had only a minimal impact on Thursday morning with only a connection between Porto and Milan deferred in the afternoon. The Portuguese government has decreed the establishment of a minimum service during the movement, a first for a strike at Ryanair in Portugal.

Another ten-day cabin staff strike is also on the horizon for September in Spain, to protest against planned closures of airport bases.

Ryanair is facing these social movements after announcing at the end of July its intention to cut 900 jobs out of its 13,000 employees. The group plans to close bases this winter and in the summer of 2020 due to postponements of delivery of the Boeing 737 MAX, whose fleet is grounded after two accidents.

burs-pn / jbo / fc

© 2019 AFP