The Labour Court has postponed a deliberation on the ongoing wage dispute between Aer Lingus and their pilots until the following week. The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) has been demanding pay raises exceeding 20%, a request they assert would match inflation rates and level their wages to those of competing airlines. Yet, Aer Lingus is contesting these demands, arguing that they can’t afford more than an 8.5% increase proposed by an internal company pay tribunal which was previously turned down by the pilots. The discussion, which occurred on April 22nd and lasted a number of hours, has been rescheduled to the following Monday. Last week, futile negotiations to avoid court proceedings concluded unsuccessfully. Both the union and the company had previously held meetings at the Workplace Relations Commission. Ialpa is arguing that the pilots have not seen a wage increase since 2019, which Aer Lingus disputes. Other employee groups in the company had accepted a 12.25% wage increase from the internal tribunal, an offer the pilots demurred on to maintain flexibility on summer leave agreed in 2019. The airline also reported that the allocation of new Airbus aircraft, delivered by their owner – International Airlines Group, hinges on the resolution of the pay dispute. Just last week, they implied that the impasse in recent discussions is likely to defer the reception of the first aircraft, initially expected in September. While Ialpa asserts they’re in favour of growth at Aer Lingus, they maintain that it shouldn’t compromise their members’ earnings and working conditions.
