AER LINGUS passengers face flight cancellations this month as pilots prepare for a strike next week.
The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) has given seven days’ notice to the airline’s management that its pilots will begin industrial action at one minute past midnight on Wednesday 26 June.
IALPA confirmed that the industrial action would continue “indefinitely.” The organization’s president, Captain Mark Tighe, said that “we have now reached a point where this conflict has escalated into an indefinite industrial action by the pilots.”
“We find ourselves in this situation because management has failed to provide us with a meaningful salary offer that takes into account inflation and the sacrifices made by pilots to save Aer Lingus during the pandemic,” he added.
It is a strict service-to-rule approach on the part of the pilots, a form of industrial action in which employees do exactly what their contract says and nothing more.
The affected pilots will not work overtime or perform any other overtime required by the employer.
“Management continues to insist that pilots must sell their working conditions in exchange for a salary increase,” said Captain Tighe.
“We are absolutely not prepared to do that, especially given that Aer Lingus is making huge profits.”
He explained: “Our wage demand is 24 percent, which is in line with inflation since our last pay rise in 2019.
“Aer Lingus increased its profits by 400 percent to 255 million euros last year.
“Our wage demands are entirely affordable and Aer Lingus management must quickly change its stance if it wants to avoid an escalation of the dispute.”
In response to IALPA’s notice, Aer Lingus issued a statement saying that the company is “currently assessing the impact” of the notice.
“This measure will have a completely unnecessary impact on customers travelling in the coming weeks, which is the peak season for families,” the airline said.
“The nature of this industrial action will have a significant impact on our flight schedules,” they confirmed.
“However, our focus is on communicating directly with affected customers where possible and informing them of their options.
“We will also communicate directly with third-party agents, including travel agents and online agents.
“Passengers who booked through a third party should contact their sales representative for any updates.”
They added that they will “do everything they can” to minimize the impact on customers.
“However, it is inevitable that there will be some disruption as a result of this industrial action and we will communicate any changes, delays or cancellations to affected customers as soon as possible,” they admit.
“In the event of cancellations, we will try to re-accommodate customers as quickly as possible. We will work with other airlines and partner airlines and try to rent aircraft for this purpose.”
