The strike by Aer Lingus pilots.
What is this strike about?
The direct cause of the strike by 480 Aer Lingus pilots next Tuesday and Wednesday is the move by the company to seek aircraft captains and first officers for its new base in Belfast on terms and conditions that will be different from those which apply to their counterparts in the Republic. The Irish Airline Pilots' Association branch of the trade union Impact has argued that by doing this the company has breached collective agreements governing pay and conditions. It has also accused the company of effectively introducing second-class pay scales and conditions for the new Belfast-based pilots. However, in the background there is significant distrust between the parties arising in part from attempts by management last year - at about the time of the attempted takeover of the airline by Ryanair - to introduce major changes in work practices for all staff. A report by industrial relations consultant Phil Flynn earlier this year said that the company, without prior consultation even with its own line managers, had committed to specific changes to the market.
What is Aer Lingus offering the pilots to be recruited in Belfast and how does this compare to the pay and conditions in the Republic?
Aer Lingus says pay rates for pilots in Belfast would, at the early points on the scale at least, be higher than those in the Republic. It says it has not decided on rates higher up the scale. It says a captain directly recruited in Belfast would receive the equivalent of €113,000 per year on entry. It says that a first officer in the Republic moving to command an aircraft at the earliest stage would receive a salary of around €98,000. The company says the pay scale in the North will be significantly shorter than the 16 - 17 point scale in the Republic. Aer Lingus also says pilots in Belfast will receive a health insurance package that is not available in the South. However, Belfast-based pilots will not have access to the existing defined benefit pension scheme. Aer Lingus plans to establish a new defined contribution scheme for pilots in the North.
The company is also seeking to introduce new flexible working arrangements for pilots in the North. The new arrangements, governing issues such as length of working day, times off between flying duties, etc, would be based on EU minimum regulations and the company's schedule rather than on collective agreements with the union. Aer Lingus says, for example, that pilots are allowed to fly no more than 100 hours every 28 days under regulations but that the current agreement sets out how these hours should be broken down. It wants the Belfast operation to be more flexible.
Why is Aer Lingus management so adamant that the new pilots have to be recruited on revised terms and conditions?
Over the years various agreements governing issues such as crew levels, days off, rest periods between flights, lengths of duty, etc, have been agreed between management and pilots. The company contends that these impact on its rostering arrangements and makes the airline less flexible than its competitors.
Why is the union opposed to this plan?
The Irish Airline Pilots' Association says working conditions in Belfast should be negotiated and is opposed in principle to the introduction of a two-tier system of conditions. The union contends that the overall package offered to pilots in Belfast will be "cheaper" than that available in the Republic as a means of saving money for Aer Lingus. It also fears the company would subsequently seek to achieve similar arrangements in Dublin.
What is the Flynn report that Aer Lingus maintains supports its position?
Earlier this year Phil Flynn examined proposals put forward by the company for work practice reform for pilots, which included the establishment of new bases outside the Republic. Flynn recommended, as had the Labour Court in relation to cabin crew, that the company should be free to establish such bases with pay and conditions there being set in accordance with local market rates. However, Flynn said he was conscious of "the real fear" on the part of pilots that the company would use such a recommendation to undermine the conditions and bargaining capacity of staff based in Ireland. He proposed that joint discussions take place on how these concerns might be allayed. The union maintains such talks never took place while management says the unions did not engage. - Martin Wall