Aer Lingus management and pilots meet for talks

Aer Lingus management and pilots are to meet for talks today amid the threat of strike action over an ongoing pay dispute.

Pilots in Aer Lingus who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) have commenced balloting for industrial action and the results will be announced tomorrow.

IALPA is recommending that members vote in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action.

Last week, IALPA members voted overwhelmingly to reject a Labour Court recommendation aimed at resolving the pay dispute.

The court recommended that the pilots should receive pay increases totalling 9.25% as part of an interim settlement.

The figure was well below the 23.8% that the pilots had been seeking.

IALPA has said that previous pay offers do not reflect the impact of inflation, the large profits being made by Aer Lingus, or the sacrifices made by pilots during the pandemic in order to save the company.

The union has accused management of failing to reverse many of the pandemic measures which it said includes lower pay scales for new entrants.

Aer Lingus has described the IALPA ballot as entirely unnecessary warning that industrial action would be disruptive to the airline’s customers and other employees.

The company has accused IALPA of failing to engage in various independent processes in a responsible manner, and has claimed that the union’s stance risks investment, growth and jobs in the airline.

Aer Lingus has said that it has lost the opportunity to secure two new Airbus aircraft from its parent IAG due to the uncertainty caused by the ongoing pay dispute.