The Labour Court may make proposals to resolve the dispute between Aer Lingus and its pilots early this week as the row between the two sides continues.
The carrier and the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) have been at loggerheads for months over pay, culminating in the pilots starting to work-to-rule last month, as well as an eight-hour strike. Aer Lingus has cancelled more than 500 flights so far, including a fresh round of 80 set to begin on Thursday. More than 80,000 passengers have had their travel plans thrown into chaos as a result.
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The court heard from both sides last week and had been widely expected to announce its proposals on Friday. While the court could announce its proposals as soon as today, it may yet delay until later in the week.
A spokeswoman for Aer Lingus and spokesman for Forsa — the union of which Ialpa is part — declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Ialpa.
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The pilots’ association is seeking pay rises of more than 20 per cent to compensate members for inflation of recent years. The union says it moderated its position during talks and argues that it will take just €5 million a year to bridge the gap with Aer Lingus. The airline, meanwhile, says it cannot agree to increases greater than the 12.25 per cent awarded to cabin and ground crews without getting a deal from the pilots requiring them to do more work than they complete at present.
The court’s proposals are not binding, so either side would be free to reject them. The pilots’ association has already indicated it will put whatever is proposed to a ballot of its members.
This is the third time the court has taken part in the current dispute.
After an internal pay tribunal, the dispute then went to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), after which the parties referred it to the court. It recommended that the pilots’ association accept 12.25 per cent and return to the WRC to thrash out a final deal.
Pilots rejected this in early June and voted for industrial action. That prompted an invitation from the court a fortnight ago to both sides to attend separate meetings, after which it held fire on intervening.
Subsequent talks between the company and union broke down so, with an escalation in industrial action looming, the court asked the two parties to attend what was their third session there last week.
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