Some Aer Lingus flights to remain cancelled despite end to pilots’ dispute

Aer Lingus has dropped plans to cancel further flights next week after pilots ended industrial action late on Wednesday pending a vote on a 17.75 per cent pay rise offer.

However, the 25 flights the carrier announced it would axe on Monday July 15th and Tuesday July 16th remain cancelled as the move cannot be reversed.

Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) officials suspended their work-to-rule at the company with immediate effect on Wednesday night after deciding to recommend that members accept the pay rise offered by the Labour Court.

That means pilots are no longer refusing overtime, out-of-hours working and roster changes, measures that forced Aer Lingus to cancel 573 flights from the point at which the action began on Wednesday June 26th, up to next Tuesday.

The head of the Aer Lingus pilots’ union has said no work conditions were agreed to as part of the deal with Aer Lingus it is recommending to its members.

“We sold no working conditions as part of this deal,” Capt Mark Tighe told RTÉ radio on Thursday.

“We’re recommending [the Labour Court recommendations] because we believe it’s a deal that the pilots can hopefully accept and we’ll move on. We’ve had a very successful time as a group of people demonstrating our unity and strength together. And that’s vitally important moving forward.”

Capt Tighe said Ialpa had not wanted to cause difficulties for customers. “I most certainly did not want any inconvenience towards our passengers. I’ve said repeatedly how important they are to us as pilots. But, unfortunately, management could have come to this point a long time ago, and the question should be really directed towards them.”

He said while Ialpa was accepting the recommendations, “it was now a matter for the members to decide themselves”.

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However, he warned that the cost-of-living issue would have to be addressed.

“The question of inflation and employees being left behind while companies’ profits continue to increase is an important one that will have to be discussed further by everybody in this country.”

Ialpa, part of trade union Fórsa, agreed to back the Labour Court proposal following two meetings and getting both the court and Aer Lingus to clarify key issues.

The association will put it to a ballot of members that will begin on Thursday July 18th and close on Tuesday July 23rd. It has suspended all industrial action at Aer Lingus pending the outcome of that vote.

Clare Dunne of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) welcomed the move, saying it was a great day for the travel industry.

Aer Lingus flies some 44,000 people daily on 220 services at this time of year, its busiest and most profitable.