Tánaiste Micheál Martin has refuted ideas from Sinn Féin for governmental involvement in the Aer Lingus labour dispute and maintains that resolution can only be achieved through the state’s industrial relations framework. He urged the conflicting parties to return to the negotiating table to find a resolution.
“It is in the country’s interest for both sides to convene and work out a solution and final decision. This is the only feasible approach,” he declared.
Parallel to this, Taoiseach Simon Harris firmly suggested that people require a moment of pause and reflection. “Families planning their summer breaks, their children included, should not be used as chess pieces in a labour conflict that has already seen court proceedings. It’s frankly deplorable and demands that people step back and reassess,” he expressed.
“If you’re asking about government action, it’s important to remember that the government already provides the necessary tools for industrial disputes through state channels, and I strongly encourage their use. Everyone should go back to the drawing board and figure this out – that’s clearly what needs to be done,” he added during his presence at The Convention Centre’s citizenship ceremony.
This advice follows Sinn Féin enterprise spokesperson, Louise O’Reilly’s expression of concern regarding the swiftly decreasing window to reach an agreement before the airline pilots begin a planned strike next Wednesday.
“The precariousness of the situation cannot be underestimated, particularly as it pertains to potential summer holidaymakers travelling to Ireland,” she relayed, noting that the tourism industry is in the stages of a pandemic recovery.
The unease among “tens of thousands of labourers and families who have scrimped for their annual break and are now worried about potential travel issues” cannot be dismissed.
Ms O’Reilly, previously a Siptu trade union representative, insisted the government has a role to fill, considering the state’s industrial relations structures view the parties as incapable of engaging and finding a resolution. “It falls on the government to act now.”
She further iterated, “I recognise that we cannot sort this out here in the Dáil. However, I am also aware that there are occasions where high-level intervention is necessary, and we are certainly in the midst of one such instance.”
Ms O’Reilly urged Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, and Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport, to proactively engage in discussions to resolve the current dispute due its severe impact on families and the broader economy. Despite the cancellation of 56 Aer Lingus flights this year due to unavailable or sick pilots, the Tánaiste responded saying the resolution of the dispute isn’t within the scope of the House’s floor, as Ms O’Reilly herself noted.
Mr Martin alluded to Ms O’Reilly’s experience with industrial affairs, concurring that the unresolved situation is inducing intolerable stress on numerous families and must be addressed urgently. However, he highlighted that the solution solely lies within the jurisdiction of the Labour Court or WRC, emphasising the necessity to seek resolution within established industrial relation mechanisms.
Mr Martin reiterated the importance of maintaining air connectivity for an island nation like ours and urged the involved parties in the dispute to behave responsibly. He stressed that our country’s mature industrial relations system, including the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission, stands ready to facilitate discussions and provide the framework needed for resolution.