DUBLIN: Ryanair has proposed talks with an Irish pilot union before a possible Wednesday strike in a bid to remove the last threat to its Christmas schedule after its surprise offer to recognize unions for the first time.
Two other trade unions — Italy’s ANPAC and Portugal’s SPAC — withdrew plans for Christmas strikes after Friday’s announcement but Ireland’s IMPACT trade union is looking for further reassurances before canceling its walkout.
IMPACT said on Saturday a meeting on Wednesday would come too late to prevent the 24-hour strike planned for the same day. On Saturday evening Ryanair offered to meet on Tuesday instead.
“Ryanair has offered to meet IMPACT/IALPA and their Ryanair pilot committee on Tuesday if that would suit them better,” Chief Operations Officer Peter Bellew said in a statement posted on his Instagram account.
A spokesman for IMPACT said it was ready to meet Ryanair at any time. “Once we meet, we can take a decision on deferring industrial action,” he said.
Bellew said the German union VC had agreed to meet Ryanair on Wednesday to discuss union recognition.
He said Ryanair had offered to meet Portuguese union SPAC on December 21 and that British union BALPA and Italian union ANPAC had agreed to meet with Ryanair in early January. “Let’s keep talking. Get people home quietly for Christmas,” he said.
Ryanair offers to meet Irish pilots ahead of strike date
Ryanair offers to meet Irish pilots ahead of strike date
Saudi POS spending jumps 28% in final week of Jan: SAMA
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending climbed sharply in the final week of January, rising nearly 28 percent from the previous week as consumer outlays increased across almost all sectors.
POS transactions reached SR16 billion ($4.27 billion) in the week ending Jan. 31, up 27.8 percent week on week, according to the Saudi Central Bank. Transaction volumes rose 16.5 percent to 248.8 million, reflecting stronger retail and service activity.
Spending on jewelry saw the biggest uptick at 55.5 percent to SR613.69 million, followed by laundry services which saw a 44.4 percent increase to SR62.83 million.
Expenditure on personal care rose 29.1 percent, while outlays on books and stationery increased 5.1 percent. Hotel spending climbed 7.4 percent to SR377.1 million.
Further gains were recorded across other categories. Spending in pharmacies and medical supplies rose 33.4 percent to SR259.19 million, while medical services increased 13.7 percent to SR515.44 million.
Food and beverage spending surged 38.6 percent to SR2.6 billion, accounting for the largest share of total POS value. Restaurants and cafes followed with a 20.4 percent increase to SR1.81 billion. Apparel and clothing spending rose 35.4 percent to SR1.33 billion, representing the third-largest share during the week.
The Kingdom’s key urban centers mirrored the national surge. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 22 percent rise to SR5.44 billion from SR4.46 billion the previous week. The number of transactions in the capital reached 78.6 million, up 13.8 percent week on week.
In Jeddah, transaction values increased 23.7 percent to SR2.16 billion, while Dammam reported a 22.2 percent rise to SR783.06 million.
POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia.
The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.
The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the Kingdom’s broader digital economy.
