Industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots to continue after employment tribunal meetings

Industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots is expected to take place after their representatives and the airline presented their respective positions at meetings before the Irish Employment Tribunal.

A resolution to the bitter pay dispute does not appear imminent after the court told both sides it would not intervene at this time.

Tens of thousands of passenger flights have been cancelled due to an indefinite strike that was due to begin on Wednesday and an eight-hour strike announced for Saturday.

The cancellation of 50 other flights on July 1 and 2 was announced on Tuesday. They are in addition to the more than 200 cancellations already announced by the airline.

The pilots are demanding a 24% pay increase, which they say is equivalent to inflation since the last pay increase in 2019.

Aer Lingus said it was prepared to offer pay rises of 12.5% ​​or more if “improvements in productivity and flexibility” were discussed.

Both sides have agreed to attend separate meetings on Tuesday at Dublin Employment Tribunal to provide information on the industrial impasse.

“Aer Lingus has made clear that it remains available for discussions both directly and through State Industrial Relations,” the airline’s statement added.

“Aer Lingus will continue to endeavor to minimize the disruption caused to customers by IALPA’s industrial action.

“Aer Lingus calls on Forsa/IALPA to consider the damage its continued industrial action is inflicting on passengers, the airline and the Irish economy. »

Leaving the court, IALPA President Mark Tighe made it clear that the action would continue.

“Actions are continuing as they are notified and will continue until a resolution is reached,” he said.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called on both sides to “dig deep” to try to reach a solution.

The Taoiseach said it was “absolutely vital” that both sides engage in talks to find a solution.

“My challenge to the parties now is to move that commitment forward, rather than subjecting people to a prolonged period of agony and chaos and then committing to the end anyway,” Harris said on Tuesday. .

“This dispute will be resolved in the same way as any dispute: compromise, commitment, sitting around a table. This is what needs to happen.

He said there would be “very little sympathy” for anyone involved in canceling family holidays and disrupting the tourism sector if they did not engage “intensively”.

Irish Deputy Prime Minister Michael Martin said the proposed industrial action had caused “anxiety and stress” to thousands and thousands of people.

“I think there is an urgent need to resolve this issue and provide some peace of mind to people who are planning all year round to go on vacation,” he said.

The more than 200 cancellations announced before Tuesday affected 35,000 passengers.

Aer Lingus said the 50 additional flight cancellations planned for next Monday and Tuesday were necessary to “protect as many services as possible” from the planned industrial action.

The airline said passengers due to travel between Wednesday 26 June and Tuesday 2 July will continue to have the option to change their flight free of charge or cancel their flight and request a refund or voucher.

“Aer Lingus fully understands the anxiety our customers are feeling in the face of the uncertainty caused by the IALPA industrial action and is offering our customers as many options as possible should they wish to change their plans,” the statement added.