Aer Lingus strike: Hundreds of pilots march at Dublin Airport amid eight-hour strike

Some 500 Aer Lingus pilots marched in the rain around Dublin Airport on Saturday as their trade union president warned the company to accept that their pay demands were reasonable ahead of Labour Court hearings on their dispute.

Most members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) at the company gathered in full uniform at the Aer Lingus head office shortly after beginning an eight-hour strike at 5am to march around both Dublin Airport’s terminals to a picket line.

The turnout hit 500 from around the Republic, out of a full pilot crew of 766, according to union estimates. Those who were not there were out of the State or unable to show up for a number of reasons, including rules requiring pilots to rest between flying.

Speaking on the picket line, Ialpa president Capt Mark Tighe declared the number “pitching up on a soft Irish summer’s morning like this” spoke volumes for pilots’ confidence in their pay claim.

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Ialpa is seeking an increase of more than 20 per cent, but Capt Tighe noted the union had moderated its stance significantly through 22 months of talks with Aer Lingus, including at negotiations that broke down on Thursday.

Pilots say their demand will cost the company less than €5 million extra a year, but Aer Lingus argues the figure is closer to €40 million.

The union and company are due at the Labour Court on Monday in a fresh bid to resolve the row, which has prompted the airline to cancel almost 400 flights, including 120 as a result of Saturday’s strike, due to run from 5am to 1pm.

“We now look to the company and the Labour Court to acknowledge the reasonableness of our claim,” Capt Tighe said.

He added that the union hoped next week’s move to the court would resolve the dispute.

The Labour Court invited both sides on Friday as the dispute neared a critical stage, with Ialpa preparing to step up its industrial action following the failure of Thursday’s talks.

Union members have been on a strict work to rule since Wednesday, severely curtailing flexibility and limiting Aer Lingus’s ability to fly its full holiday schedule.

That measure and Saturday’s stoppage forced the airline to cancel 392 flights up to Sunday, July 7th, hitting an estimated 70,000 passengers.

Monday will be the third time the dispute has gone to the Labour Court. Most recently, Aer Lingus and Ialpa met the court separately on Tuesday, but that intervention failed to resolve the row.