Ryanair will appeal a Belgian tribunal decision in favour of three employees who were sacked by the airline at the end of a 12-month probationary period.

The tribunal found that the three Charleroi-based cabin crew members were entitled to the protection of Belgian law, despite having signed contracts based on Irish legislation.

Under Belgian law, the workers' probationary period should not have been extended beyond six months.

Union leaders in Belgium claim the three were dismissed without regard to Belgian law concerning trial periods, notice periods, overtime, holiday pay, monthly minimum average income, luncheon vouchers and transport expenses.

They also claim the three, who were sacked in 2002, were entitled to a severance payment.

Yesterday, a legal specialist with Belgium's Christian CSC Union, Christine De Greef, said the tribunal had determined that the relevant law was that applying to an employee's regular place of work.

In the case of the three claimants, this was Charleroi airport.

Ryanair said it had not been informed of the tribunal's decision, but said that if it had found in favour of the three former employees, it would appeal the outcome.

"These three former employees were let go at the end of their probation period in accordance with their contract of employment," said the airline's director of personnel, Eddie Wilson.

The airline was not prepared to discuss the implications of the decision in relation to the employment rights of other staff, saying they were "hypothetical" at this stage.

A spokeswoman pointed out that the airline had a multi-national workforce of 2,600 employees operating in 19 countries.

Belgian unions, which organised a protest at the dismissals outside the labour tribunal in Charleroi in 2003, claimed the three were sacked without an adequate explanation.

They also criticised the airline for refusing to discuss the matter with them.