Aer Lingus cabin crew are to ballot on pay proposals that will increase salaries by at least £2,000 a year, and see increases of up to 27 per cent for some staff. IMPACT, which represents the majority of cabin crew, is strongly recommending the deal.
Voting by IMPACT members begins on Saturday and finishes on Friday, March 16th. The result should be known that day. SIPTU, which represents the remainder of cabin crew, is finalising its ballot arrangements.
Pay disputes involving cabin crew and other Aer Lingus grades have caused serious disruption at Dublin Airport since last October, including 2 1/2 days when the fleet was grounded.
The latest peace proposals from the Labour Court provide for extra pay for promotional grades and the deferment of contentious work practices while a joint union-management group reviews them. The group will have an independent chair and will make an interim report by July.
IMPACT and Aer Lingus have also agreed a revised pension package that would allow early retirement at 50. SIPTU has not accepted the package on the basis that it cannot be implemented before Aer Lingus is privatised and is subject to legal challenge from employees in other parts of the company, as well as Aer Rianta.
The chairwoman of IMPACT's cabin crew committee, Ms Nora O'Reilly, said the package agreed was not a final settlement of the union's pay claim.