Passengers of Aer Lingus can expect to see an end to interruptions following the acceptance of a 17.75% pay increase by the pilots, thus resolving a dispute that impacted nearly 86,000 travellers in the summer. The deal, proposed by the Labour Court, saw 85% of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) members, affiliated to the trade union Fórsa, voting in favour in an ongoing ballot since Thursday.
This agreement means a definitive cessation of the pay disagreement with Aer Lingus, which resulted in a work to rule and a strike in June, negatively affecting the airline’s everyday operations. Exactly two weeks ago, the Labour Court suggested the 17.75% pay raise after hearing representations from both sides just five days prior.
In the wake of the deal, Aer Lingus quickly gave their consent, and soon after, the Ialpa’s executive recommended the deal to its members, effectively stopping their industrial action that had persisted for a fortnight. The work to rule led to the cancellation of 573 flights during the travel peak season, throwing the arrangements of roughly 86,000 passengers into disarray.
Originating from a pay claim logged in October 2022 by Ialpa, pilots turned down a pay hike offer of 12.25% in January, consistent with the increment received by other Aer Lingus staff. This proposal was made by an internal pay tribunal. The airline and the union then escalated the matter to the Workplace Relations Commission. The failure to reach consensus led both parties to the Labour Court.
The original recommendation from the court being dismissed by the pilots opened the doors for a vote on industrial action, completed by the union around mid-June. IALPA members commenced their work-to-rule on June 26th and entirely stopped all duties during an eight-hour strike on Saturday, June 29th, with approximately 500 of them marching and picketing at Dublin Airport.