Aer Lingus has rescinded its decision to cancel additional flights next week following the termination of industrial action by pilots late on Wednesday. They decided to halt their protest in anticipation of a vote on a proposed pay increase of 17.75 percent. Nonetheless, 25 flights scheduled for Monday, July 15th and Tuesday, July 16th, which the airline previously declared would be cancelled, cannot be reinstated.
The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) promptly ended their work-to-rule protest on Wednesday evening, accepting the Labour Court’s recommendation for a 17.75 percent pay increase for their members. Consequently, pilots have ceased their refusal to work overtime, after-hours, or adjust to schedule modifications. These measures led Aer Lingus to cancel 573 flights between Wednesday, June 26th and the following Tuesday when the industrial action began.
The head of the Aer Lingus pilots union, Captain Mark Tighe, chimed in saying no work conditions were conceded as part of the agreement with Aer Lingus, which they are encouraging members to accept. Although the deal is something they hope pilots would acknowledge, Captain Tighe mentioned that IALPA did not wish to cause passenger inconvenience. He drew emphasis to the fact that these issues could have been resolved earlier by the management.
Lastly, he also stated that IALPA was willing to accept the Labour Court’s suggestions, but the final decision lies with its members. However, he cautioned that the issue of cost-of-living needs to be tackled.
The issue of rising inflation and stagnating employee wages while corporate earnings soar is a crucial dialogue that needs to be universally engaged in across the nation. This was exclaimed by Clare Dunne, a representative of the Irish Travel Agents Association, who praised the recent developments and claimed it as an advantageous occasion for the travel sector.
Aer Lingus, the airline in context, during this period, its most bustling and rewarding, transports roughly 44,000 passengers every day over 220 routes. The IALPA, an affiliate of the Fórsa trade union, pledged its support for the Labour Court’s suggestion after arranging two meetings, where clarity on critical matters was achieved from both the court and Aer Lingus.
The association plans to initiate a member vote on Thursday, July 18th, which will conclude on the following Tuesday, July 23rd. Pending the outcome of this vote, all industrial disruptions at Aer Lingus have been put on hold.