Aer Lingus has said it will strongly consider entering into talks with the trade union Impact to resolve the row over its planned new base in Belfast if pilots lift their threat of strike action for next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Impact assistant secretary general Michael Landers said the union was ready to engage in discussions under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission and would consider an approach from the company regarding talks.
However he said that, without placing preconditions on talks, the company would have to give some indication it was prepared to negotiate on its Belfast base plans.
Aer Lingus commercial director Enda Corneille said that the move would bring a new dynamic to the situation. However, he said the company would not enter into talks with the threat of disruption to customers hanging over it.
Mr Landers said Aer Lingus had indicated up to now that it did not believe the union had any role in the issue of terms and conditions for staff to be recruited in Belfast.
The strike planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday is over proposals by the company to recruit pilots in Belfast on terms and conditions which the union says will be less favourable than those which apply in the Republic.
Aer Lingus says that, at least on the early part of the pay scale, salaries for pilots in Belfast will be better than for those in the Republic. However, the Belfast pilots will not have access to the current defined benefit pension scheme and new and more flexible work practices will be required.
Aer Lingus said yesterday that a limited service using aircraft and crews from abroad would be in place on Tuesday and Wednesday in the event of the strike going ahead.
The airline is planning to operate a limited service from Dublin to London Heathrow, Manchester, Amsterdam, Malaga and Faro. It is also planning to run a small number of flights from Cork and Shannon. This could cater for about 8,000 people. There are no plans at present for a transatlantic service.
Juan Bueso, legal adviser at the European Consumer Centre in Dublin, said yesterday that passengers who had to pay for accommodation or other expenses because of flight delays caused by a strike next week should keep their receipts so they could claim from the company later.
Separately, it is expected that the Aer Lingus Share Ownership Trust, which owns 12.5 per cent of the airline will today back calls for the convening of a special meeting of shareholders to consider the plans to end the Shannon-Heathrow service.
The trust is also expected to seek talks with other shareholders, initially with the Government.