A strike by Aer Lingus pilots at the end of this month is still firmly on the cards, after the airline admitted that “no meaningful progress” was made in the latest round of talks concerning the ongoing pay dispute engulfing the carrier.
Aer Lingus pilots aligned to the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) trade union have voted in favour of industrial action over pay conditions. They are looking for a near 24% pay rise to better reflect inflation and Aer Lingus’ recent profits and have already dismissed a 9.25% interim raise recommended by the Labour Court.
Earlier this week, the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) urged a resolution between Aer Lingus and IALPA, warning that strike action would disrupt the holiday and travel plans of numerous people this summer.
“Any pilot strike over the summer months will cause serious impact for both holidaymakers and corporate travellers, as we are in the busiest travel period of the year,” ITAA president Angela Walsh said.
The latest twist in the saga, as reported by RTÉ, is that IALPA will now run a second industrial action vote amongst its member pilots from today to 11am on Monday, with this one being a paper ballot; after Aer Lingus questioned the initial electronic ballot, which saw a 98% in-favour vote for industrial action.
