The pay row at Aer Lingus has both parties patiently waiting for suggestions from the Labour Court, which could potentially alleviate their ongoing quarrel. Both the corporation’s representatives and the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa), which is a segment of the Fórsa trade union, were present at a court hearing that extended for over three hours on Wednesday.
The court is anticipated to propose recommendations aiming at fostering peace at the airline company that has, in an attempt to counter pilots’ industrial strikes, cancelled 468 flights that were scheduled until the coming Wednesday, disrupting the travel plans of 75,000 individuals.
Acceptance of any suggestions made by the Labour Court is the responsibility of both parties involved, since these proposals are not obligatory. Any suggestion posed will be put to a vote among the union’s members, as confirmed by Capt Mark Tighe, President of Ialpa.
The Labour Court had to step in this week to arbitrate the dispute using its powers under industrial relations law, due to unsuccessful efforts to negotiate an agreement. A failure in reaching a resolution might trigger Ialpa to intensify their ongoing industrial actions.
Pilots initiated a work-to-rule policy a week ago and suspended work on Saturday for an eight-hour strike, which saw participation of 500 union members in a march at Dublin Airport.
Ialpa has been attempting to secure pay raises exceeding 20 percent for its members as compensation for inflation. During negotiations, the union claims to have moderated its demands but insists that aer Lingus would only have to spend an additional €5 million per year to resolve the dispute.
Aer Lingus states it is unable to consent to any pay rise beyond the 12.25 percent that has already been awarded to cabin and ground staff, unless it includes a proposal on improved productivity and versatility from the pilots. The airline asserts that these changes will have an insignificant impact on individual pilots but will greatly enhance operational efficiency.