The continuing saga of wage disagreements between Aer Lingus and its pilots, conveyed by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa), is projected to carry on into next week, following initial discussions that took place on Wednesday. The core of the dispute revolves around the Ialpa’s demand for salary increases above 20%, a move deemed excessive by Aer Lingus, considering the 12.25% increase accepted by other employees.
Post meeting on Wednesday, both parties verified that the dialogue would be ongoing, with an additional meeting organized for next week. Although no insight was given as to whether they had managed to bridge the wage gap or progress on any other contentious points, both stated they continued in discussions post meeting.
The dispute has been scheduled for review by the Labour Court on April 22nd. Before this date, however, Aer Lingus is hopeful to resolve the disagreement in an effort to secure new aircraft from its parent company, International Airlines’ Group (IAG). The IAG is faced with the decision to allocate the Airbus aircraft by the 28th of April, a deadline that Aer Lingus perceives as inadequate time for the Labour Court to make an informed judgement on the dispute.
The dispute was escalated to the court following unproductive negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission. Over the weekend, the Ialpa communicated to its members that it had consented to engage with management “without prejudice” to the Labour Court proceedings, whilst it readied its submissions.
The union continues to argue that, considering the static nature of their pay since 2019, the current salary does not sufficiently factor in inflation or wages within other European airlines. This view is not shared by Aer Lingus, and the IAG has forewarned that costly new aircraft distribution to Aer Lingus will be untenable if pilots do not comply with similar wage increases as other staff. This lack of compliance would escalate costs and lead to depleted returns for shareholders.