Pilots’ union warns of ‘devastating’ consequences as strike talks begin at Aer Lingus

As the wage dispute between pilots and the airline continues, an estimated 122 flight cancellations are expected this week.

Mark Tighe, president of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa), said he was “optimistic” that an agreement on pilots’ salaries could be reached, but warned that a failure of the talks would lead to serious disruption.

Mr Tighe spoke as Taoiseach Simon Harris said he was concerned about “hostile blood” between the parties.

Speaking to radio station Newstalk, he also reminded management and pilots: “There are people who have saved all year and put a few dollars aside to go on summer vacation with the kids.

“Most Irish people are decent and full of common sense.

“They want the problem solved and they believe that people should lock themselves in a room and not leave until the problem is solved, rather than taking the planes out of the sky and denying people their summer vacation.

“Both sides need to dig deeper; there is absolutely no public support for this measure. That doesn’t mean, by the way, that I absolve the employer of responsibility.”

However, a source close to the pilots claimed the Irish public was behind the pilots, saying: “From what I hear, the public reaction is understanding. There doesn’t seem to be much anger. Perhaps that will change if this continues.”

They acknowledged that the gap between the parties ahead of the Employment Tribunal hearings was “still significant”. However, they added: “Do not underestimate the Employment Tribunal and its ability to resolve the dispute.”

Meanwhile, Mr Tighe said: “We are in a very strong position. There are elements in the management of Aer Lingus who want to remake the airline in their own image. But our airline is incredibly profitable, it’s a great airline… the customers are of great value to us as pilots.”

Mr Tighe warned that if the talks fail, “the strike will not be over”.

“The pilots will not give in,” he said.

“You’re not going to tell management, ‘Go ahead and do whatever you want with our airline, in which we all have a stake.’

“We are giving the labour court the opportunity to apply its experience to the situation. But if the company ultimately does not agree to a reasonable overall demand, the pilots will continue to fight.

“We are here to pursue our careers. This is an opportunity, a decisive intervention, but if it fails, the consequences will be dire.”

While Mr Tighe said they hoped the Labour Court would be a successful tool, he could not “rule out” what might happen if the talks failed.

He said negotiations had lasted 22 months and now management had “maneuvered itself into a corner and could not change its position without admitting it had made a mistake.”

The pilots are demanding a salary increase of 24 percent, which they say corresponds to the rate of inflation since their last pay rise in 2019.

On Saturday, hundreds of Aer Lingus pilots marched around Dublin Airport during an eight-hour strike.

The pilots’ source said: “The longer a conflict lasts, the longer the industrial action continues, the greater the public pressure on management.”

The Irish Independent has asked Aer Lingus for comment.