The Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) has issued a notice of industrial action to the Aer Lingus carrier, which may lead to disruptions as of next week. This move came after a majority of members voted in favour of it recently. The pilots, who are pushing for a pay increase of more than 20%, will begin to meticulously adhere to their job rules starting from the early hours of Wednesday, June 26th, for an indefinite period. Consequently, they won’t be working overtime or outside their contracted hours, affecting the capacity of the airline during the peak season.
This measure will not prevent Aer Lingus flights from operating, but there might be interruptions, delays, or possible cancellations. This is because pilots and crew are often required to work extra hours to deal with prevalent challenges, mainly during summer.
President of Ialpa, Captain Mark Tighe, has hinted that the pilots may resort to a strike if there’s no advancement from the airline. He emphasized that their pay claim was affordable and that the management of Aer Lingus should swiftly reevaluate their stance to keep the dispute from escalating.
Applying for approval from the Ialpa Aer Lingus branch for industrial action was the next step to be taken, and a dispute committee would be established.
This move was triggered by the pilots’ unanimous decision for industrial action, inclusive of a strike. This decision was reached based on a recent poll.
A potential industrial action has been on the horizon since last month when pilots turned down a Labour Court deal, offering a 9.25% pay increase. The conflict originated earlier this year when pilots rejected a pay raise of 8.5%, proposed by the company’s internal wage tribunal. Attempts from both the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court to mediate the argument have fallen flat.