Aer Lingus faces the threat of renewed disruption over the Easter weekend as SIPTU pursues a "catch-up" claim with cabin crew for 2,800 clerical staff and general operatives. A clerical strike grounded the fleet for half a day last October.
Shop stewards met last night to discuss the claim. The union wants parity, in terms of concessions, with those won by cabin crew. Aer Lingus has held that the cabin crew deal does not breach the overall terms of similar deals made with other grades.
One of the main issues is a £1,230 widening of the differential between cabin crew promotional grades and those in other sectors. Another is the shortening of the cabin crew incremental scale from 24 years to 15, while the other two groups still have 18-year scales.
As the common agreement for each sector includes promotion to the next point of the scale for everyone, this results in bigger individual increases for cabin crew.
But two of the most contentious issues are in the non-pay areas of work changes and pensions. Aer Lingus agreed to "put on ice" two of the most contentious new work practices for cabin crew while a joint union management working party reviewed them. Other workers feel short-changed by having to concede all productivity concessions immediately for pay increases.
Cabin crew also have early retirement at 55, with a proviso for retirement at 50 in the event of the company being privatised and the pension scheme restructured. Other groups must work on to 60 or, in most cases, 65.