Business and tourist bodies have condemned the decision by 480 Aer Lingus pilots to strike for 48 hours next Tuesday and Wednesday, with the likely grounding of the airline's entire fleet and massive disruption to the travelling public.
Aer Lingus and the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa) today both refused to back down in the row over pilot's conditions in Northern Ireland.
The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation and business lobby group Ibec both expressed anger at the pilots' decision and urged them to withdraw their strike notice immediately.
Aer Lingus has claimed a decision by its 480 pilots to go on strike over the proposed employment of new pilots in Belfast on lesser conditions than colleagues in Dublin was a "veto on essential progress" and was "unacceptable and deeply regrettable".
The union has threatened further action beyond next week's planned strikes.
Brendan McGinty, Ibec
The pilots are to stage a 48-hour strike next Tuesday and Wednesday. The action could affect up to 30,000 passengers. Up to 200 flights may be grounded and Aer Lingus has offered customers refunds or the chance to change their flights.
The airline said in a statement late last night that it has been in negotiation with its pilots "for some time now" on what it described as a "range of efficiencies that are essential to maintain the competitiveness".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Irelandtoday, Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion described the planned strike action by Ialpa, which is a branch of the Impact trade union, as "quite outrageous".
Mr Mannion said the starting rate for pilots based in Belfast will be the equivalent of €113,000. However, he said the pension scheme offered to pilots in the Republic was "not appropriate" in the North.
"What we have today is an extraordinary situation, which Impact and Ialpa will have to defend to the public, that they are going on strike to prevent Aer Lingus from bringing in very well-paid captains," Mr Mannion said. "It's extraordinary, and it's grotesque."
He accused unions of trying to import "restrictive" work practices that exist in the Republic into Northern Ireland. This, he said, would "not be appropriate" and "possibly illegal".
Mr Mannion also denied claims by Impact that Aer Lingus had failed to honour collective agreements. "That's simply not true," he said, citing the Flynn report earlier this year that recommended that the company be allowed open new bases outside the Republic of Ireland on local pay and conditions.
Earlier on the same programme, Michael Landers of Impact said although he hoped the action would resolve the issue, the union could hold further actions after next Wednesday if there was no agreement.
"We want the company to adhere to its existing collective agreements [on pay and conditions] with this union," he said today.
He said pilots based in Belfast will be on different pay and terms of employment to those in Dublin. "The company has made no secret of its intention to use the new base in an effort to lower pay and conditions for pilots and all workers in the airline," he said. "Clearly, we don't find that acceptable."
Mr Landers said the union would extend its strike action if agreement wasn't reached.
At a press conference in Shannon today, Ryanair chief executive Michael 'Leary described the proposed strike as "unjustifiable".
The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) called on the pilots to call off their strike, warning that it would seriously damage the tourist industry.
"The pilots' strike threat comes after a period of strong growth in Irish tourism but we are now faced with a period of uncertainty, what with an economic slow-down, higher interest rates, a poor summer weather-wise and the continuing threat of foot-and-mouth disease," said ITIC chief executive Eamonn McKeon.
The Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (Ibec) said the planned strike was "a clear example of opportunism of the worst kind by members of the pilots' union Ialpa, aimed at causing maximum disruption to the traveling public whilst seeking to impose a veto on change in the airline".
Ibec director Brendan McGinty said the plan to disrupt flights was "a self-serving measure by Impact" and failed to recognise the requirement for a competitive cost-base throughout Aer Lingus's operations.
"This is a cynical attempt by the union representing the most highly paid group in the airline, who are resistant to change while using the traveling public as pawns in its dispute with the company."
Mr McGinty said if the pilots had any serious regard for the wider industrial peace commitments under the terms of the national agreement Towards 2016, it should immediately withdraw its notice of industrial action without prevarication.